Daily Mail

THEY REALLY ARE SUPER MODELS

Defying the prejudice and ignorance of others, how these little darlings became the stars of a unique modelling agency that’s helped to show Down’s syndrome in a joyous new light

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ALL these children are naturals in front of the camera, as well they might be. For they are all models on their way to earning their first pay packets. And they have one other thing in common: they all have Down’s syndrome. The children have been given a start in a glamorous career thanks to Sheffield-based agency Zebedee, which prides itself on employing people with diverse disabiliti­es. It has now teamed up with the Radical Beauty Project to mark Down’s Syndrome Day tomorrow. Here, the proud mums of eight of the models who took part in the project tell KATHRYN KNIGHT how they hope their children can inspire others . . .

BEN COMES HOME BEAMING EVERY TIME

BEN BIRD, 13, lives with his parents, Ray and Anna in Crawley, West Sussex. Anna, 57, is a nurse and Ray, 64, is an operations manager. Ben is the youngest of six siblings: Nathan, 32, Dean, 30, Jamie, 28, Joshua, 25, and 22-year-old Jessica. Anna says: When I became pregnant again at 43, we were both prepared for the fact that there was a higher chance of a chromosoma­l disorder — something that was confirmed in a test. But from the moment we set eyes on Ben, we just fell in love with him. he just fitted right into our family, and was doted on.

From the moment Ben could talk, he would sing, and is a natural performer, with a great memory for lines. Aged five, he joined a theatre academy, which he loved.

Since he’s been modelling and performing, Ben has gone from strength to strength. he’s been in training videos and worked on campaigns for Matalan and Lidl. Ben’s also done filming for CBBC.

he’s earned a few hundred pounds — enough to buy the odd toy — but the main thing is that each time he comes out beaming, and for us that’s what it’s all about.

now he’s a bit older, Ben knows he’s got Down’s syndrome, but it doesn’t worry him at all. he just sees it as meaning he needs a bit of help — which is pretty much the way we see it, too.

MODELLING GIVES HOLLY SELF-BELIEF

HOLLY ALLAN, ten, lives with her mum Alison, 48, and dad David, 63. Alison is a fulltime mum and dad is a health and safety consultant. They live in Derby with Holly’s brothers Ben, 12, and seven-year-old Nicky. Alison says: hoLLy was an IVF baby, meaning David and I were so thrilled the fertility treatment had worked that our attitude was we would deal with whatever came our way.

of course, when the diagnosis came it was still hard. I remember looking at my tiny, new- born daughter and thinking: ‘ She’ll never get married and have children.’ But the same time she was here and she was ours and we had to get on with it.

holly made it easy for us, she was just such a cheeky, loving little thing.

When she was about three, we were approached by a company that made special disabled clothing asking holly to model for its catalogue. Since she joined Zebedee, holly’s gone onto even bigger and better things.

In the past 18 months she’s done campaigns for Alton Towers and the Sky Disney channel, as well as a television ad for Lidl. She’s earned a few hundred pounds, but for me whatever she is paid is outweighed a thousand times by the confidence and self-belief it is giving her — and the message she is giving to others.

My love and pride in holly is immeasurab­le.

A CAMPAIGN WITH FRANK BRUNO

SARA ZEB, ten, lives with mum Jennifer, 36, and dad Shahi, 38. Jennifer is a stay-at-home mum and Shahi runs his own health and fitness centre. They live in Sheffield with Sara’s sister Erin, 12, and six-year-old Adam. Jennifer says: When Sara was invited to a casting for Zebedee, I wasn’t sure how it would pan out at first. I knew she was easy-going and full of fun, but I needn’t have worried: the moment that she arrived, Sara totally got into character.

It was a lovely moment as, back then, her older sister erin was so shy and for the first time Sara was doing something that erin couldn’t do quite as well.

not long after that Sara got her first paid job for Matalan bouncing on a little trampoline alongside Frank Bruno for its Souluxe campaign, then a prime- time television commercial.

She’s got a couple of other big names in her portfolio now. She did a ‘back to school’ campaign alongside erin, and took the lead throughout.

I’d worked with adults with learning disabiliti­es, so when we were told Sara had Down’s syndrome, it wasn’t scary for me.

As far as I was concerned, she was a precious new life. I think my husband was more overwhelme­d — he burst into tears looking through the leaflets the hospital gave us.

Then, once we got home she was just Sara — a wonderful daughter who is much bigger than her diagnosis. I hope that by taking part in the Radical Beauty photoshoot we can show other people that Down’s is not something to be afraid of, but something to celebrate.

SHE WAS FEISTY FROM THE START

GRACE WHARTON, eight, lives on the Wirral with parents John and Cheryl. John, 47, is a lorry driver and Cheryl, 49, an animal nursing assistant. She has two older siblings, Hannah, 24, and 18-year-old Ethen. Cheryl says: GRACe was in hospital for five months after she was born. She had a couple of holes in her heart and a large gap where her oesophagus should have been.

She was really poorly, yet from the start she was also so feisty and strong-willed.

I remember one of the nurses on the neonatal ward telling me that Grace would be running rings around us when she was two and she wasn’t wrong.

My eldest daughter calls her a sassy madam! John and I were devastated when we first found out Grace had Down’s syndrome, but we quickly made a decision that we would embrace whatever came. That meant not listening to the doctors and their doom and gloom.

She started modelling when she was six because everyone always told us how cute she was. We went to a test shoot with Zebedee and from the moment she walked into the room and twerked in front of the photograph­ers we knew she’d love it. She just comes to life in front of the camera.

A few weeks later, we learned she’d been requested for a Disney campaign and last December she was in every UK Disney store.

For us it’s not about any money

she earns — although it’s lovely that she can save something for her future — but the message it brings. Grace is just Grace: a funny, quirky individual, just like every other child.

When Grace was born, I used to walk down the street, paranoid that people were staring. It’s funny because now I’m so proud that I want everyone to look at her!

MAYBE GABRIEL CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

GABRIEL SOHOTHA, five, lives with parents Suky and Rebecca in Huddersfie­ld. Suky, 46, is an engineer and Rebecca, 48, runs an arts school. Gabriel has a sister, Ruby, 13. Rebecca says: When Suky and I were told Gabriel had Down’s syndrome a few hours after he was born, we were both terrified.

We imagined all the things that we thought Gabriel was going to miss — playing football and going to university.

It was even more of an emotional rollercoas­ter for us because the pregnancy had been an amazing surprise. I’d struggled to conceive in my 30s and we adopted Ruby after two rounds of failed IVF. however, it didn’t take long to adapt to our new reality, especially once we got in touch with other families and saw how the only barriers were in our minds.

Gabriel has had no major health issues and attends a mainstream school. now he’s got his modelling career, too.

We applied to Zebedee when he was four after seeing an advert on social media and Gabriel was a natural.

Since then, he’s worked for River Island and Matalan — his posters are in- store at the moment and he’s earned around £2,000.

Seeing the pictures blows me away, not just because he’s my son. Gabriel came into our world and turned it upside down and now maybe he can help to change the world, too.

HE’S EVEN GOT HIS OWN BANK ACCOUNT!

FRANKIE PORTER, five, lives with parents Vicky Porter and Adam Goswell in Horbury, West Yorkshire. Vicky, 44, is a full-time mum and Adam, 39, is signalman for Network Rail. Frankie has three older siblings, Corey, 23, Millie, 20, and ten-year-old Charlie. Vicky says: FRANKIE modelled for Marks & Spencer and he was a big blue bauble in last year’s Sainsburys Christmas advert.

When he first saw himself on the TV, I thought he might burst with happiness.

That joy we all experience around Frankie now is a long way from how we felt when he was first diagnosed at birth.

While everyone was very kind, the general feeling was that this was one of the worst things that could happen.

I felt like we should be grieving, not celebratin­g the birth of our beautiful son.

That mood seemed to be all around us: it’s very hard to find something positive to latch on to. Of course, that didn’t last — Frankie made sure of that.

From being a laidback, easy baby he grew into a cheeky and loving boy who enjoyed nothing more than being the centre of attention.

It’s one reason I approached Zebedee. I sent them a few pictures and a couple of weeks later they got in touch and asked to meet. They thought he’d done modelling before, as he followed instructio­ns so well! Frankie’s made a little bit of money and has even got his own bank account. But whatever cash he does make can help towards his future.

The most important thing is that he is helping to change perception­s.

I hope that because of Frankie and other children, mums in my position will be less afraid.

KUSH IS THE HEART OF OUR FAMILY

KUSH SONI, five, lives with parents Hamel and Nisha in Hertfordsh­ire. Nisha, 37, is a finance product manager and Hamel, 37, works for Google. Kush has two sisters — Keira, four, and one-year-old Shailee. Nisha says: When kush was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome shortly after he was born, the paediatric­ian told us that we had ‘options’.

It was clear she meant that we didn’t have to take him home if we didn’t want to — but it was unfathomab­le to me. he was my child, of course I was taking him home.

I worried that hamel might not feel the same, however. I remember turning to him and saying he didn’t sign up for this and I would understand if he wanted to walk away. he told me I was insane, that kush was his son and he loved him.

kush didn’t have the easiest start. he was in intensive care for 17 days and was diagnosed with an infant form of epilepsy. The turning point came when keira was born. kush just blossomed, turning into this intuitive, loving boy with a beautiful infectious smile.

It was kush’s smile that made a friend suggest he should model. We sent pictures to a few agencies, then we came across Zebedee last summer. Their ethos of being proud of your difference­s chimed with everything we stand for.

kush hasn’t had any paid work yet, but even if he didn’t earn a penny, it wouldn’t matter. It’s about seeing him flourish and trying to get rid of the negativity that can surround a Down’s diagnosis.

We wouldn’t change him for the world. he is absolutely the heart of this family.

I WAS SO PROUD MY GIRL COULD DO THIS

RONI LITTMAN, six, lives in Potters Bar with dad Jon, 46, who is in the Royal Navy, full-time mum Shelley, 43, and five-year-old brother Jaiden. Shelley says: LaST year at Jon’s parents’ Golden Wedding anniversar­y party Roni got up on stage to sing and got everyone belly dancing.

The room was full of laughter and joy and I remember looking around and feeling full of pride that our little girl had done this — the little girl who, when she was born, we were made to feel by some people would be little more than a burden.

Roni being diagnosed with Down’s syndrome came out of the blue. I remember the doctors telling us how sorry they were. That sentiment was everywhere: when you have a baby with Down’s, no one says congratula­tions.

Yet to us Roni just like any other baby. She was cute and curious. and while she was, and is, slower to hit her milestones, and will always face challenges, she’s always been independen­t.

There’s no real reason why, with the right support, she cannot achieve what she wants like any other child. a natural performer, Roni signed with Zebedee last year and has done TV adverts, campaigns, catwalk shows and appeared in TV shows. at her mainstream school they think she’s famous — kids shout: ‘You’re Roni’s mum.’

 ??  ?? Naturals: From left, Ben, Holly, Sara, Grace, Gabriel, Frankie, Kush and Roni
Naturals: From left, Ben, Holly, Sara, Grace, Gabriel, Frankie, Kush and Roni
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