A 24-year-old woman who had lost her leg to rare cancer has become the new face of a major fashion brand – Kurt Geiger!
It was in 2018 when Bernadette Hagans had her leg amputated after she was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a type of cancer that can come from different types of soft tissue, such as ligaments or muscle.
She was told that removing her leg was the only way to save her life.
Bernadette started experiencing symptoms of cancer in 2017. She felt a painful twinge in her leg and found a pea-sized lump which grew and became painful.
But it was not until a year later did tests reveal that she had synovial sarcoma and that the lump had wrapped around her blood vessels and nerves. She was then told that the only way to save her life was to remove her leg.
“It it was my leg or my life, then they could take my leg. Good riddance!” she expressed.
But Bernadette did not lose hope. She managed to learn to walk again with a prosthetic limb and joined Zebedee Management agency, which specializes in models with disabilities.
Now, she is one of the faces of Kurt Geiger’s People Empowered Campaign.
Bernadette, who is also an ambassador for cancer charity CLIC Sargent, said in an interview on Kurt Geiger’s website: “It’s great when people like me get shown, because it doesn’t happen too often.
“I think it can show that different can look good, and that you can make the most of whatever sets you apart from the crowd.”
The model also showed how being optimistic allowed her to overcome the challenge of dealing with the disease and losing her leg.
“Everyone was always saying they thought it was going to hit me at some stage, but I just felt really lucky,” she expressed.
“I thought, okay, they’re amputating my leg, but I’ve had my leg for 22 years. Some people are born without. I got to experience life with two legs and now I get to experience it with one.”
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Replaced!