cancer

Runway Show Shines Spotlight On Young Cancer Fighters

A North Texas runway show will shine a spotlight on young cancer fighters

NBCUniversal, Inc.

For 5-year-old Madilyn Hallford, Tuesday afternoon was all about being pampered.

She sat patiently while a team of stylists did her hair, nails and applied a little shimmer.

“It’s wonderful to see her just be a kid and to enjoy things that she loves doing,” said Madilyn’s mother, Taryn.

For the last three years, Madilyn has battled leukemia.

Her family made regular trips from their hometown of Paris to Children’s Health in Dallas for treatment. Sometimes the family spent weeks at the hospital.

“She’s persevered and she has wonderful endurance and she’s always smiling,” said Taryn.

That smile will shine bright as Madilyn joins 20 young cancer fighters in walking the runway at the 32nd Annual Children’s Cancer Fund Gala. The yearly event raises critical pediatric cancer funding for Children’s Health and UT Southwestern.

The children will get a chance to be pampered and be escorted down the runway by honorary chairmen Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach, along with other celebrities.

“This is an opportunity to celebrate how far they’ve come in their journey from diagnosis through treatment, through some of the hardest times they’ll ever live through,” said Jennifer Arthur, executive director of the Children’s Cancer Fund.

Dylan Stewart, 8, will be one of the models participating.

He spent the last year battling bone cancer.

“It blindsided us,” said his mother Katy Paul. “We had so much done for us throughout this we wanted to help out in some sort of way.”

Tuesday’s event introduced all 20 models and serves as a kick-off to the fashion show on April 17th. For more information, click here.

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