Arlo, 9, lost a foot – but gained modelling role
ABOY who lost his foot at 18 months has become a model and now travels the world posing for famous brands including Primark, Amazon and Schuh.
Arlo Tate, nine, was diagnosed with fibular hemimelia – a missing fibula – at birth.
His right foot was bent inwards so doctors suggested amputating his foot so he could learn to walk with a prosthetic leg.
Mum Naomi, 38, says Arlo has found walking with prosthesis incredibly easy and hasn’t let his disability hold him back, playing football, basketball and rugby with his friends.
In March 2020, Arlo was scouted by a diverse modelling agency who wanted to sign him up and he has since travelled to Prague, London and Manchester – being paid £500 a shoot for brands such as Primark, Amazon and Schuh.
Naomi, a property investment consultant, from Weston-superMare, said: “Arlo has beaten the odds to become a model before he’s even turned 10.
“He gets looked after really well; every job he goes on, it’s all very luxurious. We get to take him to toy shops and let him have his pick to spend his wages.
“It doesn’t faze him at all that he’s earning all this money. He just loves sightseeing and making new friends.”
Naomi was told at her 20-week scan that her son would be born with an “abnormality”.
But doctors weren’t exactly sure what the abnormality would be, only knowing it would impact his leg. His missing fibula was discovered at birth.
Due to his missing fibula and abnormal tibia, which was bent sideways, Arlo’s right foot curled inwards and he only had three toes.
Naomi said: “It was significantly shorter than his left leg. It would’ve grown, just at a really slow pace.
After 18 months of research, Naomi and Arlo’s care team decided amputation would be the best route.
She said: “At the beginning, I was really nervous. But in the three months before surgery, doctors fitted Arlo with a prosthetic leg, which had a set of five little toes.
“He absolutely loved it. It gave him the flexibility of being able to walk and he could even put a shoe on it.
“I knew amputation would be the best decision; he wouldn’t know any different and could learn to walk with the prosthetic.
“They’re just replacing something that isn’t useful to him with something that is.”
On July 6, 2016, aged one, Arlo had his right foot amputated and continued learning to walk with his prosthetics.
Naomi says he didn’t have any difficulty at all and got stuck in with as many sports and running clubs as possible as he got older.
In March 2020, Naomi and Arlo decided to spend lockdown making prank videos on TikTok.
The account received a message from a talent scout for a modelling agency, which Naomi initially thought was a scam.
But when the main verified account sent her a message later on, she realised it was real.
“The agency contacted me on TikTok,” Naomi said.
“I thought it was a bit of a joke but they said they wanted to sign Arlo up.”
Within four months, Arlo jetted straight to Prague in the Czech Republic to shoot his first campaign.
The shoot was for Amazon, which was due to go live in North America, South Africa and China. He was paid £500.
It lasted four days and Naomi says it was set up like a “movie studio”.
She added: “His first job was a really big one – there was movie equipment all set up.
“We had a chauffeur pick us up from the airport, and they held his name up on a card at the gate. We really got looked after in luxury.”
Arlo says he’s been enjoying his new side hustle and loves the adventure and luxury that come with it.
Arlo said: “It’s really fun – I like to travel around. My favourite things to do are sightseeing and making new friends.”