When Venessa Harris was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2015, her desire to succeed in the world of modelling only grew stronger.
Two years on from her Ewing's sarcoma diagnosis, Ms Harris is in remission and on a high after meeting two of the world's fashion greats at Sydney's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.
"I was given five days down in Sydney to meet my idols. I met Alex Perry the designer and Samantha Harris the Indigenous model," she said about her recent Make a Wish experience.
"I was tiny when I [first] loved Alex's dresses. He's just an amazing designer."
The teen was also taken to the Sass and Bide fashion show, where she was shown around the studio and got behind-the-scenes access to the dresses.
"You only see stuff on TV, and it's nothing like what you see when you get there," she said.
Boosting confidence
Venessa's battle with cancer began just months after she won a major modelling competition in Brisbane, which included a three-year contract with Tambyln Models and a trip to Paris.
Instead of making a splash on the runway, the then-12-year-old spent a year and a half undergoing treatment at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane before returning to her Tara home on the Darling Downs.
Mother Karen Monaghan said while her daughter had always been a positive child, the fashion week experience provided a boost.
"The advice that these people gave Venessa [in Sydney] was just like a dream, because it's what we've been telling her," Ms Monaghan said.
"We've been telling her how amazing she is, how capable she is of doing whatever she wants to do."
Ms Monaghan said meeting models and designers in Sydney was a welcome distraction from medical concerns.
"Because of everything she'd been through, it's really hard for her to get her mind around everything," she said.
"She was 12 when she was diagnosed and she's 15 now. It's hard for her to think in the teenage world."
And she said it has helped provide Ms Harris with a plan for the future.
"She can see the light at the end of her career tunnel now I suppose. It's going to get bigger and better," Ms Monaghan said.