11-year-old Becomes Pop Star For A Day

By Devika Rao

For the AJC

Hannah Layfield, 11, loves to sing and she dreams of taking the stage like her favorite singers, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift. Pop Star For A Day, a project coordinated by Amanda Berger, 12, last Friday, allowed Hannah, a cancer patient at Scottish Rite, to experience life in the spotlight at the Dan & Company studios in Dunwoody.

As a student at the dance studio, Amanda attended the Pop Star Camp hosted every summer by the studio. “I volunteer at the camp now and it is really special to turn girls into pop stars and to see how special they feel,” said Amanda, a student at the Epstein School. “I thought it would be nice to give the pop star experience to someone who may not get to go to the camp.”

Hannah’s cancer returned in last April, and since then it has been a roller-coaster ride for her and her family.

She got the opportunity to live in a rock star world after Amanda contacted Scottish Rite hospital. “The Bergers reached out to [the hospital] in regards to their project and we just happened to know that [Layfield] fitted the request perfectly,” said Lauren Meisenheimer, child life specialist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. “It was a very lucky situation.”

Amanda coordinated an afternoon complete with a full hair and make-up artist, a photographer and videographer, a limo ride, and a celebrity-appropriate red carpet. “I was really excited,” Hannah said about when she found out about her special day and all the activities planned.

Amanda took a chance on Barbizon Modeling and Acting PR Director, Annie Harrison, when she saw the agency promoting at Perimeter Mall. Harrison arranged a surprise visit by actress Logan Browning, who is starring in the TBS-series Tyler Perry’s Meet The Browns. “It was a sincere request and not one we get too often,” said Harrison. “[Browning] happened to be in Atlanta this week, so we got very lucky to have her come to this special day.”

Tammy Layfield, Hannah's mother, said her daughter was being unusually shy pop star, a different persona from the girl who is not afraid to ask for Hollywood contacts if a celebrity comes to the hospital. “Hannah was so excited and I am so excited for her,” said Layfield, who is from Gray. “Today, instead of being in and out of treatments, she just gets to be a normal kid.”