by Allie Marie Smith
Tuesday I dodged down the 101 (Starbucks in hand and teal chair in-tow), and headed to the foothills of Los Angeles County to shoot our second HerStory film featuring Kelly Vegas. I first heard Kelly’s story at the Breaking Through Conference in Costa Mesa earlier this year – it was heart-wrenching, raw, real, and full of hope.
It was a story I know forever impacted a thousand girls that day and one I knew Wonderfully Made had to help share with thousands more. After Kelly and I hugged and greeted one another, it took us five minutes to realize we had never actually met in person. In the words of Anne of Green Gables – “kindred spirits.”
At seventeen, Kelly’s battle with anorexia gave her a brush with death when she suffered a heart attack on prom night. Of course there’s much more to the story, but today Kelly is healthy and free. She’s a gorgeous soul armed with an awesome sense of humor, contagious belly-laughs and a passion for God.
We filmed her story under an oak tree on a private ranch, surrounded by beautiful greenery as the November sun back-lit Kelly’s frame, making her look even more radiant.
Thank you for joining us on this journey as we try our best to shoot many more HerStory films in hopes of reaching girls everywhere with the message of their true beauty, purpose and worth. To watch our first HerStory film and learn more about how you, your organization or church can be a part of our film series, click here.
In five sentences or less, tell each other your story.
