We were lucky to catch up with Aysa Province recently and have shared our conversation below.
Aysa, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
Our story began as a fashion show that gave our teen cancer patient friends a chance to shine, feel beautiful and empowered. In 2020 we had 500 guests in attendance and 2021 we were able to broadcast it on network television. We are so proud of how far we have some with our small event that was meant to celebrate teen patients and now include all ages and various diagnoses.
After a few years of our fashion event and seeing the positivity that stayed with the teens long after their moment on the runway…we decided we could do more, we needed to do more and we were ready. We created Beautifully Loved to serve all ages and family members of children fighting childhood chronic illness, including mental health.
We went from the fashion show to 12 programs and growing that serve children and families at local children’s hospitals and support centers.
We do things such as pamper days at the local children’s hospital to provide free services such as haircuts, massages, nails, makeup and hair styling. We also do free photoshoot sessions, hospital care packages for both patients and parents, clothing support and a design program called, Love Tribe Designs, in which patients design shirts and bags in order to share their personal, positive message with others.
We also do self esteem workshops for young girls dealing with the effects of cancer and what it has done to their mind/body. After seeing the success of this program, we are now doing a mentorship program where we do events that bring together younger patients/older patients and survivors together for a fun time of support and connecting with someone who knows your journey. Parents are important to us as well and we do similar events for them to build relationships as well with other parents who will understand their story.
Something we are incredibly proud of is that have also begun giving therapy to kids to help them cope with PTSD and self worth. Going through something like cancer can be so traumatic and we often forget that the trauma stays with them even after a positive result as remission. Those feelings stay with them often and trying to navigate through them is often challenging. We try to be there for their hearts as they walk through whole body healing.
We have seen firsthand how wellness, self care and remembering their beauty can fall to the wayside for many parents and children in these trying times. Additionally, finances can be so incredibly tight due to hospital bills that all other expenditures lessen in priority. Things that seem simple to most of us become a luxury to these families.
Beautifully Loved aims to lift the burden on families and children by providing self love and self care resources that would otherwise go forgotten or become unattainable. We want those who are fighting through hardship to know that they are seen, loved and valued. We want them to know that taking care of oneself is important and while they don’t have the resources or energy to think of themselves, we will be thinking of them and creating that space for rest and restoration. We want to show up for them and be part of the uplifting love they need during this difficult time.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
When people used to ask me what I “did for living,” I would say I was a “professional volunteer!” I have a degree in International Business from Texas Tech University and wanted to be a fierce career women one day. Then plans changed as I married and started a family. Being a mother became my job and in time I lost my confidence as a women in business. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being a mother but it wasn’t my what I envisioned for my big ambitions as a young lady.
I started wanting to do things that gave my creative energy a place to be utilized and maybe even help others. I started volunteering in various places that I felt I could be a benefit to and in the process, learned more than I thought I would and gained a passion I didn’t know I had in me.
I was so lucky to have been given the opportunity to volunteer for the annual prom that Dell Children’s Blood and Cancer Center did every year for their teen patients. This prom created special memories that may have been taken away by cancer or blood disorders. Teens fighting cancer have extremely weak immune systems which prevents them from most of life’s events. On this day, the teens get pampered and I was always amazed at how much they would light up and glow after getting their hair and makeup done and getting to put on that beautiful dress. It changed their confidence immediately. After a few years of organizing fashion shows and leading photo shoots as part of a new found passion, I had vision that would not leave my heart.
I could bring my passions of giving back and fashion together to create another opportunity for these teens to feel as beautiful and confident as they should.
The Beautifully Loved Fashion Show (formerly the Dell Children’s CBCC Fashion Show) was founded in 2015. To our surprise, it was such a hit with the teens, families and clinic staff. Austin business contributing to make it magical. The teens are the models with the best treatment of fashion from local boutiques and designers, top makeup and hair from local beauty teams and swag bag full of amazing items donated just for them.
I saw what a huge difference helping make these teens feel strong and beautiful does for their hearts and their mindset. It was all about giving them another opportunity to feel celebrated and have a chance to shine!
When we put ourselves “together” in hair, makeup and a great outfit, we feel somewhat stronger and stand a little taller in confidence. I truly believe that when we feel we look good, it has power. Now take this idea to children fighting cancer, who already feel the pressure of being what they think they should look like or be like, and it can be so difficult. Now take this idea to mothers fighting right along their babies and have no energy or time to think about themselves. We give them a moment where we provide them the chance to feel this moment of amazingness and it reminds them that not only do we care but they truly are beautiful.
Our fashion show and organziation now is open to all ages and all diagnosis. In the 2022 Beautifully Loved Fashion Show, we had 40 models from ages 3-20 years of age and was it was a magical day for all. It’s a day these beautiful models are NOT their diagnosis but are celebrated for their uniquely, beautiful, stylish self!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I started doing our yearly fashion show, we were 3 years in and I got a call that a young teen wanted to join last minute but they were not sure on her health timeline. I always want to do what I can for each teen/child and I did whatever I could to make it happen for her.
She showed up the day of the fashion show, with the most positive and radiant energy. She was clearly deep in her cancer journey and very fragile. This made me happy that she fought to be at the event that I created.
While we were getting our clothing ready she walked over to me and ask to use one of my leather jackets I brought. Of course she could be I told her it was extremely heavy. I wanted her to feel strong on stage and not to have my jacket weigh her down at all. But she insisted.
I watched this beautiful young lady strut down the runway and at the end, pop out her hip and flip that jacket over her shoulders. The crowd cheered. We all cried.
She then walks off the runway and falls to the floor backstage to lay down. She gave her heart and energy out there for us all to see her strength. She was amazing. This beautiful soul then had to be carried out of the venue and onto the hospital from where she then went into hospice care.
I was blessed to be invited to her funeral service. As we were standing outside letting balloons go in her honor, I was standing next to the cancer clinic’s therapist. She leaned over and asked if I was doing the fashion show again. At that moment I didn’t know. Honestly, it felt so shallow all of a sudden. How could I be making a difference with a fashion show, makeup, hair, clothes, etc.? I needed to be doing something different that REALLY made a difference.
She then stops me in my tracks and says I must continue to do what I was doing. That teens would come into her office months after our event and say how beautiful and strong that felt that day. It stayed with them and have them hope and happiness.
Wow. Okay. I would keep going even though I didn’t feel confident all of a sudden. From there I started thinking of what more could I do to help the head and hearts of children walking a hard journey. What did I need at their age? I created Beautifully Loved with no money, no real experience and not a lot of true confidence. Just started with faith and a vision.
5 years into the start of this journey I will say I question my abilities and strength often. I feel like someone got confused when they chose me to start all this. And who will support makeovers and fashion shows as a nonprofit? I have literally put sweat, blood and tears into years of work that I then pray someone will see and understand. Then add the emotional strength required to work with children dealing with illness and losing some to their diagnosis after building a relationship with them and their families. One year I went to 3 funerals of young children. It can be heartbreaking at times. So the mental and emotional strength required at times can make me question my resilience.
I am proud of how far we have come and what we have been able to do. It definitely takes resilience to fight for something you believe in when you have no money, spend hours alone working on projects, skip time with your friends and family to keep the train moving and when it feels like doors keep shutting in your face. Kudos to all those out there fighting for their passions and visions on lots of faith and hard work. I applaud you!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
So when I started the nonprofit, I thought I was starting a fun club or group surrounded by rainbows and butterflies and all things magical. How could it not? It was something that created to bring joy to children in hospitals and involved feeling pretty.
Well, no one told me that starting a nonprofit is really starting a small business essentially. It needs leadership, a team with supporting roles to help fulfill the mission, marketing that is consistently building a brand, accounting, getting investors/donors and ultimately working many, many hours/days/years to prove your credibility and value that will then lead to supporters who help you grow and expand. Not to mention the title “non” profit meant learning to ask and ask for money to stay afloat..something I was NOT good at or enjoyed. Add in that I live in Austin, Texas among thousands and thousands of nonprofits!
I realized I had to do things I was uncomfortable doing if I believed in the mission enough to fight for it. As someone who strived for perfection in my work, I learned how much I didn’t know and how failure in my growth was necessary in learning the kind of leader I was and wanted to be. It’s been 5 years since I started Beautifully Loved. It’s been 5 years of extremely hard work and not to mention I work with children dealing with illness that adds an emotional journey to my work as well.
There is nothing more humbling than feeling like you are going in with the most amazing plan and realizing you had no idea of what really was to come or to conquer. I have been humbled so many times….more than I want to admit. But I heard recently while watching a youtube leadership video that failing can promote confidence which then leads to competence. You know, it’s true. I have never failed so much but yet feel the most confident I have ever felt. I have a long way to go to being where I want to be but I am open to the fight to get there if it means I get to do the work I love.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.beautifullyloved.org
- Instagram: Beautifully.Loved
- Facebook: Beautifully Loved
- Linkedin: Beautifully Loved
- Youtube: Beautifully Loved
Image Credits
I need to look up one credit. Will email. Photo credits: RSX Studios Elizabete Silva Sophie Kohn Candy Murphy Teodora Ponga