9-year-old double-amputee walks the runway at New York Fashion Week
Daisy-May Demetre is, in many ways, just like any fifth-grader. In school, she prefers English over math, and loves gymnastics. But it's her moves on the runway that exude the most confidence.
Yesterday, she became the first child double-amputee to walk in a show at New York Fashion Week.
"I feel proud of myself," she said.
Demetre was born in Birmingham, England with a rare condition that required both of her legs to be amputated.
But that hasn't stopped her from strutting her stuff. Here she is at London Kids Fashion Week in April, where she even broke out a cartwheel:
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Daisy-May Demetre (@daisymay_demetre) on
"Daisy's a special, unique child doing stuff all the doctors told me would never really be possible," said her dad, Alex. He said his daughter's blossoming modeling career came seemingly by chance.
"It just so happened on the TV pops up a disabled modeling agency," he told CBS News national correspondent Jericka Duncan. He asked Daisy-May, "Do you want to be a supermodel?"
Her reply? "Yes!"
Designer Enikö Hegedüs-Buiron took notice. "We had an instant connection," she said. Daisy-May is now a brand ambassador for her Lulu et Gigi clothing line.
"I want people to see that beauty is not one-sided," Hegedüs-Buiron said. "It's a multi-faceted thing."
Duncan asked Daisy-May, "What advice do you have to children like yourself?"
"Just never give up, and just do what you can do," she replied.
Daisy-May will represent Lulu et Gigi again later this month at Paris Fashion Week, where she'll model at the top of the Eiffel Tower.