Sask.-born model and advocate Elly Mayday dies from cancer

A Saskatchewan-born model and advocate for woman’s health and body positivity has died after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Elly Mayday, 30, was born Ashley Luther and grew up on a ranch near Aylesbury, Sask., about 60 kilometres north of Moose Jaw; she graduated from Luther College High School in Regina.

Mayday died on Friday after suffering with ovarian cancer and related health problems for five years.

Her family shared the news of her death on Saturday via Mayday’s social media pages.

Long-time friend and colleague Jess Tetu grew up near Mayday and will always remember her friend as driven.

“She just brought such positivity and inspiration to hundreds of thousands of people across Canada, and all over the world,” she said.

Tetu always stayed in touch with Mayday, but started to make big plans for the pair once Mayday began to chase down a modelling career at age 23, the same time she started experiencing symptoms.

Tetu said that when Mayday did break into the industry, there was little change in her relentless attitude.

“That was very clear that she was not going to change who she was for any company, any person, for anyone,” Tetu said. “And I think that’s what made her stand out is that she was so true to herself.”

Getting her cancer diagnosis at age 25 changed very little as Mayday gained a following as a plus-size model in New York.

She documented her experiences on her social media accounts and became an advocate for body positivity as she continued to work with a shaved head after chemotherapy treatments and insisted on showing her accumulating scars from her multiple surgeries.

“She was just so real,” Tetu said. “She didn’t fake that it was a hard time.”

“She would smile and try to appreciate the days that she did have and the time with her family, and the time with her friends and the love she had for what she was doing.”

Mayday became a beacon for women’s health through her experiences and advocacy for cancer funding and awareness.

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Chris Vandenbreekel