Jearlean is more than a top fashion model from Baltimore, Maryland. She is an author, speaker, and a cancer survivor who has to go through the rest of her life living with two ostomy bags attached to her body.
Jearlean Taylor was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma at age three. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of sarcoma. Sarcoma is cancer of soft tissue (such as muscle), connective tissue (such as tendon or cartilage), or bone. Rhabdomyosarcoma usually begins in muscles that are attached to bones and that help the body move. Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma in children. It can begin in many places in the body.
There are three main types of rhabdomyosarcoma:
Embryonal: This type occurs most often in the head and neck area or in the genital or urinary organs. It is the most common type.
Alveolar: This type occurs most often in the arms or legs, chest, abdomen, genital organs, or anal area.
Anaplastic: This type rarely occurs in children.
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Jearlean was cancer-free a year after her diagnosis but left with a permanent ostomy (colostomy and urostomy), which aids in her bladder and bowel functions. This causes her to wear (2) ostomy bags. An ostomy refers to the surgically created opening in the body for the discharge of body wastes. An ostomy bag (pouch) attaches to the abdomen and is fitted over and around the stoma to collect the diverted output, either stool or urine.
Despite having obvious setbacks due to her ostomy bags, Jearlean pushed on. Moving into one of her loves, fashion and modeling. And as anyone would think a model might be self-conscious about showing her body, but not Jearlean. As a matter of fact, she flourished.
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“Being a model and still having my ostomy bags, was not as hard like I initially thought,” explains Jearlean. “The beginning of my career as a model I still did not tell anyone I had ostomy bags. I was more afraid of what people would think, how they would react, and if I would be able to wear certain clothing, outfits, and even designer garments. But my talent speaks for itself on the runway and in front of the camera. I manage to make it happen. I discovered ways to make sure my bags are secure and stable. I don’t concentrate on my bags anymore when modeling. I hit the runway with confidence, my talent, and fierceness.”
“I am author, fashion model, motivational speaker, and woman of God,” she continues. “My life has proven to be a journey of unexpected challenges. Through my journey I am blessed to have my desires, passions, and…