A “motivated” teenager after meeting her idol

JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – A teenager who has suffered from health problems since she was a child finally met her idol Tiffany Haddish.

Brayla Clarke, 17, met Tiffany backstage at the Florida Black Excellence Fest.

She said the meeting was a dream come true because watching Tiffany on TV helped her get through some difficult years.

Haddish gave Clarke advice and tips, but he said them in a funny way, as only a comedian could.

“There are some people you can't trust, they lie to you, they say, 'Oh, it won't be in there,' but then it's there,” Haddish said.

She said she's loved Haddish since watching her on screen years ago.

The reunion was made possible with the help of Dreams Come True, an organization that helps children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses each year.

Organizers of the Florida Black Excellence Fest, where the comedian was speaking, also helped make the reunion possible.

“When I read about what Brayla was going through and the fact that my daughter also suffered from seizures, I really wanted her to have this opportunity to connect with the person who gave her the inspiration to keep going,” Sonte Pollock, organizer of the event.

Takeilia Clarke, Brayla Clarke's mother, said she discovered a brain tumor when she was in 4th grade and it had to be removed in 2022.

Takeilia Clarke said she needed help walking after the operation.

Brayla Clarke still has medical issues, but that won't stop her.

“It’s still a journey that we’re still going through,” Takeilia Clarke said.

Brayla Clarke said today was one she will never forget because the meeting motivated her to pursue a career in the medical field.

“It was good to see her,” Brayla Clarke said. “And the way I’m doing, I can work with her.” Being able to laugh, to talk, to ask questions, it gives me comfort knowing that I need to up my game and knowing that I need to work on other things with myself.

She said her goal as a registered nurse would be to make patients feel better while they receive care.

“I want to become a registered nurse after always having to take MRIs and watching I learned so much. I’m at the point where if someone asked me to do something to help someone during the MRI, I would know what to do,” Brayla Clarke said.