Model and body positive activist Elly Mayday has died at the young age of 30 , after a long battle with Ovarian cancer. Her family announced that she passed away on March 1 through her social media accounts. The model’s birth certificate name was Ashley Luther and she was born in Saskatchewan, Canada. She adopted her new name, Elly Mayday, as she fought her way through the industry as one of the first curvy models, according to People . “Ashey was a country girl at heart who had a passion for life that was undeniable,” her family wrote. “She dreamed of making an impact on people’s lives. She achieved this through the creation of Elly Mayday which allowed her to connect with all of you. Her constant support and love from her followers held a special place in her heart.” At just 25 years old Elly began feeling sick from constant and severe lower back pain, which led to four trips to the emergency room. Her doctors sent her away with painkillers and told her and the family she needed to lose weight. “The doctor told me to work my core,” Mayday told People back in 2015. “We’re undermined being younger, being women. I started to realize no one is going to help me unless I help myself.” She began pushing her doctors and asked for a CT scan, which revealed an ovarian cyst that turned out to be stage 3 ovarian cancer. The findings were completely shocking, as that type of cancer typically occurs in post-menopausal women. After undergoing several surgeries and months of chemotherapy, the young model’s life was looking up. Unfortunately, in 2017 her cancer returned and she spent most of the year in the hospital. Advanced-stage ovarian cancer is difficult to treat and 40-50 percent of patients who undergo chemo and enter remission will have a recurrence within three years, according to the University of New Mexico Cancer Center. Following her diagnosis, the model began proudly posing for photos, baring the surgery scars on her abdomen for magazines and her personal social media pages. She began sharing her triumphant and difficult moments and gained a rather huge following for her honest documentation throughout her battle. Before her tragic death, Mayday wrote on Instagram that she has “always been looking for that opportunity to help people,” which she got to do through sharing her cancer journey. “My choice to be public and try and share my strength was imminent. Helping is how I justify my time here is well spent.” “I’m lucky I have been able to combine it with the fun career of modeling, cause that’s also very me (hah no surprise),” she continued. “I appreciate everyone who lets me know I’ve made a difference, with my advice, my sharing, my photos and just my general approach to a real tough situation,” she concluded her post. R.I.P Elly Mayday, you will be missed. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2019: In Memoriam
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Elly Mayday, Body-Positive Model, Dies Of Ovarian Cancer At Age 30
