Our beautiful (role) model baby
Meagan Nash’s son, Asher, may only be a year old, but he’s already changing people’s perceptions and attitudes…
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and, although I may be a little biased, my son, Asher, is absolutely beautiful. He’s a bright, smiley little boy who loves his musical toys and idolises his big sister, Addison.
But he also has Down’s syndrome and, even now, people can’t always see beyond that. So, I’m on a mission – not only to change people’s perceptions of him and others with the condition, but also to transform the face of beauty.
When my husband, David, 31, and I found out I was expecting for a second time, in November 2014, we were absolutely thrilled. Addison, now eight, couldn’t wait to be a big sister, and I knew she’d be a great help.
Then, when I was around 12 weeks pregnant, doctors told us our baby had Down’s syndrome. I have to admit, we were devastated at first. Utterly shocked, we had no idea what to expect.
However, when doctors offered me a termination, we didn’t consider it for a minute. Instead, we spent months researching Down’s to become better prepared.
Even after that, we didn’t know how it would affect our baby, as the condition varies from person to person, but we came to realise that it didn’t
matter. This was our baby and we loved him unconditionally.
And when Asher arrived, in July 2015, he was beautiful. Down’s syndrome didn’t change who he was. It was a part of who he was.
Addison asked lots of questions, and we were very open with her. She was brilliant with her baby brother, giving him cuddles and helping me dress him in the mornings.
While most people responded positively to Asher, strangers would stare at him. I couldn’t believe people could still be so narrow-minded, but Asher would smile and wave at them and we’d go on with our day.
Then, in July 2016, Asher, then 12 months old, was sitting in his high chair while I did the washing-up. He was playing with his favourite musical toys, in his element, marvelling at the different sounds.
His lovely smile lit up the room, and I suddenly had a wonderful idea. People always commented on his sweet face, and it got me thinking. Why not submit some pictures of him to a modelling agency?
I told David, but he was concerned. ‘Don’t get too excited,’ he said. ‘These agencies might not be open-minded enough to see what we see in Asher.’
I knew what he was saying, but I hoped that no one would discriminate against him purely because he has Down’s syndrome.
However, I was about to be sorely disappointed. Of the various agencies I sent pictures to, hardly any replied. And, when one did, it was to say that they weren’t looking for a baby with special needs.
I was heartbroken. Why shouldn’t Asher have the same chances as any other baby? Determined and undeterred, I trawled the internet and found the Changing The Face Of Beauty Facebook page. It’s a non-profit organisation that advocates equal representation of people with disabilities in advertising.
I posted a cute picture of Asher and wrote about the experiences we’d had. Within minutes, we were inundated with messages of support.
Remarkably, my post went viral. Dozens of people wanted to share our story with the world, and we were thrilled to be raising awareness of Down’s syndrome.
Then I got an email from the American children’s clothing brand, OshKosh B’gosh. They wanted to meet us to discuss the possibility of using Asher in one of their advertising campaigns.
It was a triumph, not only for Asher, but also for acceptance. We celebrated with a family meal out, and Addison, always Asher’s biggest supporter, was delighted for her brother.
In November 2016, we met with members of the clothing company. I was extremely nervous, but I shouldn’t have been. They made us feel so welcome, and thanked us for bringing awareness of Down’s syndrome to them.
Then they invited Asher to take part in a shoot for their spring/summer range!
But things were about to get even better. OshKosh called us again to ask if Asher would appear in another campaign they were about to shoot.
I was so excited to tell David the good news that I could barely dial his work number. And hearing his voice crack with pride brought tears to my eyes.
Our son wasn’t even 18 months old yet, but he’d already achieved so much.
On the day of the shoot, I brought along Asher’s toys to keep him entertained, but I needn’t have worried.
He was on his best behaviour all day, and loved being fussed over while trying on lots of beautiful clothes. He was such a natural in front of the cameras, beaming at everyone and everything.
But that was just him, doing what he always did – lighting up the room and making everyone smile.
Since then, Asher has been asked to work with several brands and has a flourishing little career. Any time the camera is around, he always gets a big grin on his face, like he knows it’s time to smile!
I knew when Asher was born that he was destined to do great things. He isn’t just a model – he’s a role model. And now, at 28, I’m unspeakably proud that the world has the chance to see the wonderful boy we’ve always known he is.
‘I always knew that Asher was destined to do great things’