Media Drum WorldA teenager with Down’s syndrome is taking the fashion world by storm, getting signed by five different agencies after being spotted on social media.
14-year-old Georgia Traebert has more than 50,000 followers at the time of writing (January 29), on Instagram, and has modelled for big brands in her home country of Brazil.
Georgia rose to fame when her mum, 44-year-old Rubia Traebert from Curitiba, Brazil, posted a picture of her daughter on Facebook ‘as a joke’.
Media Drum WorldFollowing her daughter’s diagnosis with Down’s syndrome, as well as a heart defect, Rubia quit her job to look after Georgia full-time.
Rubia explained how at first, the diagnosis was a shock:
During my pregnancy with Georgia, all my pre-natal exams were showing up ok, and we didn’t have a clue she would be a child with Down’s syndrome.
Naturally, at first it was a shock for us, but since the very first moment she was born she was received with a lot of love.
Of course, the news took us by surprise. I confess that at the time I was filled with a mixture of sadness and insecurity.
Undergoing heart surgery at five-months-old, Georgia’s heart defect is now said to be ‘completely cured’.
Georgia is said to have struggled to fit in at several schools, and found it difficult to make friends, with Rubia explaining she took it upon herself to ‘stimulate’ her daughter:
Georgia had to change schools a lot, I think that was the most difficult part of our life.
I’ve always tried to really stimulate Georgia at home. I played, I sang, I danced with her – the stimulation was done daily at home by myself.
I quit my career to dedicate myself entirely to her and it worked, as you can see.
In June 2016, Rubia shared a photo of Georgia on Facebook which quickly received over 1,000 likes.
Encouraged to share more photos, Rubia helped grow Georgia’s online presence, and it wasn’t long until modelling agencies got in touch.
Rubia continued:
It all started as a joke; I posted a picture of her on Facebook and it was a hit straight away. The idea was to see how much it can inspire other Down’s syndrome children.
Today she is listed in five modelling agencies but what really worked was [her] Instagram and Facebook [profiles]. That’s where she became known worldwide.
Now jobs have started to appear; she has just made a commercial for a famous brand here in Brazil and also modelled for one of the biggest jewellery designers in Brazil.
While Georgia is successful and ‘loves her life’, Rubia admits it can be difficult, saying the ‘hardest part’ is when people say the only reason Georgia is a model is because she has blonde hair and blue eyes.
However, Rubia knows the reason Georgia has come so far is because she’s a ‘very kind child and very talented’ adding:
Friends and family tell us that we are two warriors and that we serve as an example for many mothers and children with special needs.
My advice is to never ever give up. Keep fighting and persist in your dreams, for nothing is impossible. Just want, believe and fight to make them real.
We should all be like her; thankful for our lives rather than complain. Today, as she stands out in the media, she is now surrounded by girls who ask her about her career and her work, so being in the media and having a career helped a lot with her confidence in that sense.
Georgia also dreams of being an actor and singer, so Rubia has enrolled her in drama and music classes.
I wish Georgia all the best for her future!
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