Elly Mayday facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elly Mayday
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Mayday in A Perfect 14
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| Born |
Ashley Shandrel Luther
April 15, 1988 Aylesbury, Saskatchewan, Canada
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| Died | March 1, 2019 (aged 30) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Model, advocate |
| Years active | 2011–2018 |
| Known for | Plus-size modeling, ovarian cancer advocacy |
| Modeling information | |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Hair color | Blonde |
| Eye color | Blue |
| Agency | Dorothy Combs Models |
Elly Mayday, whose real name was Ashley Shandrel Luther (born April 15, 1988 – died March 1, 2019), was a Canadian model. She was also a strong supporter for women's health. Elly became well-known for continuing her modeling career while fighting ovarian cancer. She often showed her surgical scars and bald head from chemotherapy in photos. This helped her share her story and encourage others.
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Her Early Life
Ashley Shandrel Luther was born on April 15, 1988. She grew up on a farm near Aylesbury, Saskatchewan, a small town in Canada. She had three brothers. Her family grew crops and raised animals like cattle, horses, pigs, and chickens. They also ran a local restaurant. Elly's mother was an artist. When Elly was 13, she went to boarding school. Later, she studied gender studies and psychology at university. After that, she moved to Vancouver with her brother.
Her Modeling Journey
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When Elly was 23 years old, she worked as a flight attendant for Sunwing Airlines. This job took her to places like Cuba, Mexico, and Jamaica. At the same time, she was trying to become a model. She chose her stage name, Elly Mayday, by combining two ideas. "Elly May" came from a character named Elly May Clampett in the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies. "Mayday" came from the emergency word used in aviation, from her flight attendant job.
People in the modeling world told her she was not tall or thin enough for traditional modeling. However, her body measurements were perfect for pin-up modeling. She won a contest for a local auto show. She was also the main subject of a documentary about her cancer and modeling career. It was called A Perfect 14, which referred to her clothing size.
Facing Health Challenges
Elly Mayday started feeling very bad. She had terrible pain in her lower back and stomach. She also felt pressure in her lower stomach, had bladder infections often, and just felt unwell all the time. She went to the emergency room four times. Doctors did not think it was cancer because she was so young. Instead, they told her that her symptoms were because of her weight. They advised her to exercise and make her core muscles stronger. She lost about 14 kilograms (30 pounds), but her pain did not go away.
Elly kept trying to model, and by early 2013, she became a model for Forever Yours. This was a lingerie company in Vancouver that made clothes for all sizes. Her symptoms got worse in the summer of 2013. She went back to her doctors and said she would not work until they found out what was wrong. She was then diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It was a rare type of cancer usually seen in older women. Elly was only 25 years old.
Modeling Through Cancer Treatment
Elly Mayday had four surgeries, including one that removed parts of her reproductive system. These surgeries left scars. She also had three months of chemotherapy, which made her lose her hair. She decided to keep modeling and use her baldness and scars to talk about her cancer. Sonya Perkins, the owner of Forever Yours, was unsure at first. But she later said the campaign was a big success. Photos of Elly with a bald head and surgery scars gained her thousands of followers on Facebook.
She also got an international modeling contract with JAG Models in New York City. The founder, Jaclyn Sarka, had seen Elly's photos on Instagram before knowing about her cancer.
At first, the modeling industry called her a plus-size model. Elly did not like this label. She said she was happy with her size 14 body and that it was a normal size. During her year and a half of cancer treatment, Elly lost about 27 kilograms (60 pounds). She went down to about 54 kilograms (120 pounds) and a size 10. She said this caused "skinny shaming" on social media. Some of her old fans or friends accused her of using her cancer to get money and become famous.
Life After Treatment
In July 2014, Elly was told she was cancer-free. She flew to Australia to be part of a campaign for the Australian Women's Weekly magazine. In April 2015, she was one of six models in Lane Bryant's #ImNoAngel campaign. This campaign showed women with different body types. Her surgery scars were visible in the photos and were not changed. In June 2015, Elly's cancer returned. She had a fifth surgery to remove another tumor. She posted pictures from this surgery on Instagram too. She called her scars "beauty marks" but stopped saying she was cancer-free.
Elly continued modeling in New York until 2017, when her illness came back. She then returned to Canada. In 2017, Elly Mayday was the face of a campaign for Addition Elle. This was a Canadian clothing store that raised money for Ovarian Cancer Canada. She shared the difficult parts of her treatments on Instagram. This included pictures of her looking tired and videos of her talking about vomiting and chemotherapy.
Her Passing
Elly Mayday passed away in Vancouver on March 1, 2019, when she was 30 years old. Her illness had gotten much worse, especially in her last months. Doctors could no longer help her. A high school friend who visited her said that Elly had accepted her death. At the time of her passing, Elly Mayday's Facebook page had 500,000 followers.
See also
In Spanish: Elly Mayday para niños
