18 year-old Madeline (Maddy) Stuart from Brisbane is on a mission to challenge how beauty is perceived, and for people to understand that real beauty comes from the inside.
Stuart has Down syndrome, but her disability is something that she sees as a gift and it’s never stopped her from pursuing her passions of dancing and swimming, and now her dream of modelling after losing nearly 20 kilograms.
Maddy’s mother Rosanne told Daily Mail Australia that Maddie, who she says is bursting with confidence in herself, that she has always made a point of telling ‘her every day how amazing, funny, smart, beautiful, wonderful she is’.
“Maddy is so confident, she has no hang ups, she is more than happy to parade around the house showing me how gorgeous she is with her hand up behind her head swaying her hips as if to say “look at me,” Rosanne said.
Maddy, with the support of her family and friends, is now looking for an agent to kick-start her modelling career.
“Only when she gets lots of attention through social media will the modelling world look at her, this is unfortunate but true and she really wants to change the way people discriminate against disability,’ Rosanne said.
Rosanne says that Maddy has a lot of love to give, and that her beauty starts from the inside.
“She is amazing, she is so beautiful, and she makes me feel so special. We will be driving in the car in the morning and she will just pick up my hand and kiss it and tell me she loves me and thanks me. Every morning she comes in and cuddles me to start the day,” she said.
Madeline would join actress Jamie Brewer, who was the first Down Syndrome model to hit the catwalk at New York Fashion Week, in promoting diversity in the modelling world.
