Who will walk the runway during New York Fashion Week and win $20,000? You decide.
Constance D. Benson
About Constance D. Benson
I’m an actress, Motivational Speaker a realtor in Atlanta. I am the first woman cured of sickle cell disease under the Stride-HCT bone marrow transplant study. BMT was October 30, 2012. I am a survivor. I love sharing my story to encourage others.
Learn More About Constance D. Benson
What makes you the Next Runway Star?
Modeling and walking in the runway is in my DNA. I have modeled and done. Fashion shows for a decades. I know how to walk the walk and talk the talk. I’d rather not talk about it though. I’d rather be about it. Put me in some heels and put me on stage And you’ll see what I can do!
What would this once in a lifetime experience mean to you and why?
I have always dreamed that I would walk in a big time NYFW Show. When I had my modeling contract with Wilhelmina in Conshohocken (Pennsylvania) around 2011, I thought that I was finally getting the opportunity to make my dreams come true. I was in the hospital in a full-blown sickle cell disease, pain crisis in Kennesaw, Georgia, when my agent in Pennsylvania called me to let me know they wanted me to audition for Wiz Khalifa music video in New York. I knew that it was my ticket to breaking into Wilhelmina, New York, if I could land that audition. I had my doctor disconnect me from my pain medication because I was determined to be a professional runway model and I knew this was my chance. I didn’t make it 5 feet from my bed once my medication was disconnected. I went from almost being able to touch my dream to having my dream crumble before me in front of my eyes. I cried as I called my agent from the hospital bed and told him I could not make it. That was the last time we ever spoke.
What are you most proud of about yourself or what have you overcome and why?
I am the first person cured of sickle cell disease under the Stride-HCT bone marrow transplant study. My bone marrow transplant was on October 30, 2012. My little sister Samantha was my donor and she was a perfect match. I am so proud of my family for never giving up on me and for helping me to see that this experimental study, if successful, would be the thing to help all my people that suffer from my disease. The medical community would be able to study the success (or failure) of my transplant and make it better for the next person. It took years of therapy and self reflection, to understand the gravity of what I endured. I am so proud of myself for stepping out on faith and sharing my testimony on every platform that I get, so that I can empower anyone that is battling a chronic disease to NEVER GIVE UP! I let my pain and my passion, encourage others that feel invisible to know that their life matters and that their life is worth fighting for!
What would you do with the $20,000 cash prize?
When I was younger, my family always had to adjust their plans around my health. When I was sick, my parents never let me stay in the hospital by myself because they understood the importance of having someone you love beside you and advocate for your health when you can’t. If it wasn’t my mother that was next to me, it was my father, my brother or my sister. I literally remember being so sick during my little sister’s spring break, that I pretended like I was OK because I wanted to make sure she enjoyed her spring break Fully and didn’t worry about me. We were at a waterpark called wilderness of the Smokies in Tennessee. My sister loved water parks, but my body would never allow me to get in water without immediately getting sick. I tucked it out for that vacation and pretended like I was OK. When I knew the vacation was over and we were on our way headed back, I let me parents know how sick I was. So, I would take my family on an international, beach vacation for at least a week.
Content from Constance D. Benson
Who is Constance D. Benson (Intro + Videos)
Rise is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that helps sexual assault survivors across the country and around the world. They’ve created the most successful legislative reform movement in U.S. history: 120 laws passed, 1 UN Resolution and 112 million people’s lives impacted by their efforts.
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