Alayna Hester was born in Raleigh, NC to parents Drs. Mark and Rebecca Hester in 2001 and raised in the small town of Bladenboro, NC. She was an elite athlete until her battle with pectus excavatum and a collapsed lung at age fifteen. At age nineteen, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer-- another battle she would conquer. Through her struggles, she gained a new perspective on life along with a renewed strength, confidence, and passion for following her dream of being a professional actress.