There are several rites of passage into the celebrity world – starring movie roles, platinum music albums, sports championships. But 15-year-old Courtney from Richmond, Virginia, wants to be a lawyer like her uncle, or a chef like her dad, and decided to take a more direct route to stardom – a milk mustache ad.
In 1999, Courtney was in the 8th grade, running track and preparing for soccer season when she began experiencing dizzy spells. On February 3, her family's worst fears were confirmed after a bone marrow test – Courtney had leukemia. She began 9 months of intense chemotherapy protocol consisting of visits to the clinic twice a week and 3-5 day hospital stays. Even during the high fevers, adverse reactions to drugs, blood transfusions, hair loss, and ongoing pain and weakness, this spirited teenager kept a positive outlook. "I have always been really healthy, except for all this leukemia stuff," she said.
Courtney kept up with her schoolwork, despite being homebound, and received straight A's. She started attending high school last year and made the soccer team. Her second phase of treatment was completed in November and she moved into the maintenance phase, which will last another year. This includes monthly visits to the clinic for blood tests, a spinal tap every other month, a shot once a week, and pills every night.
When wish granters from the Make-A-Wish Foundation® heard from Courtney that she wanted to be in a milk mustache ad, there were questions about whether her wish could be fulfilled. Up until that point, the national milk campaign had only featured celebrities in print ads.
Courtney and her family were treated as if they truly were celebrities. The family was chauffeured in a stylish limousine from Richmond to Baltimore, Maryland. They were taken to their hotel and escorted to the Presidential Suite, where a "Got Milk" gift pack and tickets to the National Aquarium awaited the guest of honor.
The highlight of the trip was the professional photo shoot orchestrated just for Courtney, who now represents one of the few non-celebrities featured as part of the national milk campaign. Her ad debuted in the March issue of Teen People magazine and will be showcased in several other publications.
Now in the 10th grade, Courtney is looking forward to soccer season in the spring and homecoming dances. She no longer dreams of life as a celebrity – she is one.