Two-Year-Old With Down’s Syndrome Lands Huge Modelling Contract

SWNS

It’s World Down’s Syndrome Day and there is no better time to celebrate the life and achievements of those with the condition.

To honour the day, UNILAD caught up with mum of Lily Beddall, the incredible tot with Down’s Syndrome who has just scored herself a huge modelling contract with Matalan at just two-years-old.

SWNS

Little Lily was picked from hundreds of child models to land herself the amazing opportunity to be the face of childrenswear for the clothing giant in all of their 217 stores.

She said:

We always say ‘No Limits’ for Lily and this is just one more thing we can add to her list of achievements.

Lily’s parents almost burst with pride for their child, as they took Lily to see herself up on an advertising campaign at their local store.

She pointed and recognised herself, posing on her 44-year-old dad Eddie’s shoulder and signed her name.

This is a landmark moment not only for Lily and people with the condition, but also for Matalan and the fashion industry as they take one step closer to channelling diversity and inclusivity.

Vicki explained:

Because children with disabilities in the fashion world/advertising are still in the minority and so it’s wonderful that Lily is able to represent the minority and hopefully in the future this won’t be a newsworthy story, it will just be the norm.

Things haven’t always been plain sailing for the Beddall family though, as Vicki revealed in an honest blog post about the difficulties she faced when accepting her child had the condition.

She wrote:

My first thoughts were that this can’t be happening. I don’t want this. I won’t ever be a grandparent. I don’t want my baby to look different.

I don’t want my baby to talk funny. I want all the things I had planned. Why? What did I do? Why me? Why us?

And my world fell apart. Life as I know it disappeared and this huge chasm of pain erupted. Pain I didn’t think was possible.

In the early days after the birth, Vicki admitted she found it difficult to adjust to her new life as the mother of a child with Down’s Syndrome.

She confessed although she loved her baby, it was hard to accept her new life and found she was sad for the baby she thought she had been carrying for nine months.

She wrote:

I also found that although I loved Lily so very much, I didn’t have the overwhelming feeling of love that I expected and that the mums of babies around me were describing.

I felt something was missing and then I realised I missed the baby I had bonded with during pregnancy, I actually missed her and it hurt.

I was grieving for her. Now I can look back and realise that it felt as if they had taken away the baby I had bonded with and replaced her with Lily.

However, things took an upwards turn after it was confirmed her child had the condition and Vicki realised life may not be how she had planned it, it was going to be different, but in a new exciting way.

Facebook/Lily's Journey

She added:

The day after the diagnosis was confirmed I said to Eddie that I didn’t want to get out of bed and for him to take the baby downstairs.

After about three minutes I said to myself: “What on earth are you doing? This is the baby you have always wanted, the baby girl who is downstairs now waiting for her mummy.”

At that point I stopped feeling sorry for myself and went downstairs to start our new lives.

Reflecting on her initial thoughts and reactions at her child’s diagnosis, Vicki feels very differently to how she did in the early stages.

She confessed:

I am actually very ashamed of the way I reacted. I reacted as if Lily had died. Looking back I see how selfish all those thoughts are.

Dealing with an unexpected change in the condition for a child must be extremely difficult for anybody, so it is completely understandable Vicki felt this way, but she now knows this is all a part of the journey.

Here’s a video of Lily’s achievements so far in celebration of World Down’s Syndrome Day: