Ten years have shown that living with young Mia—who has Down syndrome—was hardly the burden some predicted. Her family, the Armstrongs, can attest to that. The 10-year-old, now a model living in California, also became an advocate for others with disabilities. After appearing in a Walgreens Red Nose Day campaign in 2017, Mia was flooded with modeling…

Landing the front cover of Glamour magazine, Enya, a 24-year-old Dutch model with Down syndrome, is blazing a trail for more inclusivity in the fashion world. Enya, a dancer from the Netherlands, was encouraged into modeling by her sister, Céline, who noticed deficient representation of people with disabilities in fashion and beauty. Enya loved the idea…

A girl from China who was abandoned by her parents at a tender age due to her albinism has—despite her condition—gone against the odds and succeeded in becoming a teen model. As a baby, Xueli Abbing, now 16 years old, was dropped off outside an orphanage by her parents without them leaving a note explaining…

A Minnesota native made history in 2017 by becoming the first woman with Down syndrome to compete in a Miss USA state pageant. Yet, she isn’t stopping there and now aims to be the first woman with Down syndrome to be featured in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Mikayla Holmgren, 26, is a model, dancer,…

A quadruple amputee mom has become a model after defying her one percent odds of survival. After almost losing her life to sepsis, Kia Brazil, from Wisconsin, has beaten the odds and gone on to achieved greater things after the life-threatening illness caused her to become a quadruple amputee. The 29-year-old suffered a stomach infection…

British model Kristina Hurrell dunked her head in the pool of water just steps ahead of her, frantically trying to shake out the countless insects that had dropped into her hair when she took a garden shortcut. Only upon lifting her head, did she see the nearby Brigitte Bardot, nakedly emerging from a swim. It…

An aspiring child model with Down syndrome is encouraging other children to trust that we all are beautiful in our own, unique way. Francesca Rausi, 5, has always loved the spotlight. Her mother, Michelle, a 44-year-old beauty therapist and semi-permanent technician with her own salon on the Mediterranean island of Malta, is encouraging her daughter…

One girl from Spain is proving that anyone can make their dreams come true, even people like her who were born with Down syndrome. Marian Avila has made a successful career as a model, despite how difficult it can be for people with Down syndrome to find a job. She is leveraging the media attention…

A baby with Down syndrome has defied the odds to become a model. Marnie Pree, now 2, has been scouted by a modeling agency after her proud mom, Sarah Pree, 46, from Kent, shared her photos online. Sarah says that although she was initially devastated by Marnie’s diagnosis during her pregnancy, she feels incredibly lucky…

Model Omotolà Ekundayo says the “imperfection” in her smile prevented her from pursuing her fashion career for a long time. Though the young woman from Nigeria is missing her right front tooth, she says she has never felt more confident in her whole life than she does now. Omotolà isn’t letting her appearance, or other…