In my opinion, Talia Joy Castellano was one of the most inspiring people to ever walk the earth. She did so much for me and for millions of girls around the world. She is a true inspiration and I hope to show you just that with this essay. Talia was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. She was told to be cancer free but relapsed three times in the next six years. During that time she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome-There is no known treatments to fight both cancers. She was only given months to live she ended up living for much longer. She discovered the world of makeup through cancer survivor and family friend, Tammy DeLaRosa, and uploaded her first Makeup tutorial on YouTube called “crazy eyeliner.” She got the opportunity to be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show where she was made an honorary Cover Girl. I watched her videos from day one- she had helped me get through so much. She helped boost my confidence, and to not take things for granted.

A unique quality about Talia is she did not wear wigs-She made bald beautiful. One of her sayings was “Makeup is my wig.” Even though her videos were about makeup, she taught the world that you should feel comfortable in your own skin. She showed how easy making friends can be. She also showed me positivity is everything, and that you always had to have a smile on your face.

In the summer of 2013 Talia’s health started to decline, she passed July 16, 2013. This crushed my soul. I had looked forward to