Model
magic
Story by LINDA LONG Contributed photographs
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shley Tombrello, an 18-year-old senior at Thompson High School in Alabaster, has wanted to become a model her whole life. “Even as a small child, she would look at pictures in a magazine and say ‘I want to be one of those girls.’ This has been her ultimate wish,” said Margie Tombrello, Ashley’s mom. For a while, it looked like Ashley’s wish might remain unfulfilled. When she was 2 years old, she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder affecting the lungs and digestive systems. There is no cure for CF, and it can be life-threatening. It requires an intensive medical regime and, at times, long hospital stays. When a non-profit organization, Magic Moments, heard about Ashley’s struggle against CF, they decided to step in. The organization fulfills the wishes of chronically ill children in Alabama by making each child’s dream come true. For Ashley, that meant an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City for a professional photo shoot. Ashley and her entire family took off for the Big Apple to meet up with a professional fashion photographer, makeup artist and hair stylist. The photo session came complete with June 2013 | 19