Make-A-Wish Foundation Gives Teenage Fashionista Her Dream Updated September 12, 2011 8:11am

Rachel Kao gets her wish of attending New York Fashion Week. (DNAinfo/Serena Solomon)

LINCOLN CENTER — There is nothing glamorous about hospital visits and doctors, but for Rachel Kao the glitz of New York Fashion Week was a welcome distraction from treatment for a life threatening illness.

Kao suffers from Omenn syndrome, a deficiency in a type of white blood cell which leads to a severe immune deficiency. This week, the Make-A-Wish-Foundation made Kao’s dream come true by bringing her to Fashion Week.

“My dream was to ... experience as much of Fashion Week as I can,” said the 19-year-old Kao, who lives in Michigan and uses a wheelchair.

Her delight at being there was clear as she held a blue bag from her favorite designer, Betsey Johnson, and sported a tailored jacket from Macy’s.

After the BCBG MAX AZRIA show on Thursday morning, Kao noted the trends of bright colors like corals, blues and turquoise with a flowy fabric.

“It was awesome. I can’t believe it,” she said after the show.

For Kao, having Omenn syndrome severely affects her quality of life.

“I can’t fight infections. I don’t make enough B and T cells,” said Kao. “I get sick a lot. I am frequently in and out of hospital.”

A recent worry has been her weight, which has dropped significantly.

But for the next few days, it’s all about fashion.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation, which helps make dreams of terminal ill children come true, has lined up a hectic fashion week schedule. Like all the other fashionistas, Kao will be attending numerous runway shows each day, such as Rebecca Taylor and Candela, before heading home on Sunday.

Kao is fashion savvy, keeping up with numerous blogs with her favorite being Refinery 29. She constantly reads Vogue and her favorite television show is Project Runway.

Fashion has been a life long love for her, according to her mother Lori, who also came to fashion week.

“Even when she was young she was always dressing up and matching things,”  she said. 

To read more Fashion Week coverage, click here

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By Serena Solomon, DNAinfo.com

Follow Serena on Twitter @serenaspeaks