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Finding her voice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kelly grew up in a small family with her dad, her brother, and her sister. At age 2, an accident left her with a developmental delay. “[I was] pretty much a mute, and I wasn’t able to read, talk, or anything like that until I was about seven or eight,” she said. During that time, she formed an unbreakable bond with her sister. “When I was not really able to communicate well as a child, she was always the one standing up for me,” Kelly said. “If I was alone, she made sure that I didn’t feel lonely. Without my sister, I honestly would say that I would not exist.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, at the age of 12, her sister was diagnosed with cancer. “But the good news is, this year she celebrated 20 years of being clear,” Kelly said. “That whole experience has only engraved in me that you only have one shot at life.” Around this time, she found a new joy in acting. “It was recommended to my parents to put me in a situation where I was forced to train my mind,” she said. That early introduction sparked a passion that never let go, setting Kelly on the path to becoming a performer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Taking flight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
At 19, Kelly moved to the United States to study acting. “I moved to the States when I was 19 years old with a hope and a dream, and here I am,” she said. Like many young students, she needed a flexible way to earn money. “I went on Craigslist, and there was a little party company that was looking for princesses, and I was like, I could be a princess,” she said. She began performing, and word of her talent spread quickly. Soon Kelly was fielding more requests than she could handle on her own, so she started recruiting other performers to join her. “Me became two, then became three, then became four, then became five, and now we’re ten,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Kelly has built a career doing exactly what she loves. “I’m a performer. I love entertaining children. I love the fact that I get to be a big kid myself,” she said. The road to get here wasn’t easy. As a child, every minute was a struggle, but Kelly persevered. Reflecting on the challenges she overcame to get where she is today, she said, “When I look at my before and after, anything is possible.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n