9-Year-old Double Amputee Made History on ‘New York Fashion Week’ Catwalk

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By Good News Network,  Sep 1 2019 , A 9-year-old British schoolgirl is set to make history after she becomes the first child double amputee to walk the catwalk at New York Fashion Week.

Daisy-May Demetre has been chosen as a model for the French-inspired fashion line Lulu et Gigi Couture after its founder saw her modeling in London.

Her appearance at the prestigious New York Fashion Week on September 8th will mark the first time a young double amputee has starred in the show.

The Birmingham schoolgirl is also set to strut her stuff in Paris Fashion Week at the end of next month.

Daisy-May’s legs were amputated as a result of being born with fibular hemimelia, a birth defect in which part of the fibular bone in the leg is missing.

Her parents, Alex and Claire Demetre, were shocked to learn of her condition after a doctor consulted a baby scan and informed them that the child would “have no legs”.

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Her parents Alex and Claire were given the difficult choice of either watching Daisy-May grow up with deformed feet that she wouldn’t be able to use or allowing doctors to perform a double amputation.

Hoping prosthetics would give her a better quality of life, she had the bottom of both limbs removed when she was just 18 months old.

Her parents never dreamed that their daughter would go on to become a fearless gymnast, as well as a model for Boden, Britain’s largest clothing catalogue.

“We didn’t know at the time that Daisy-May would be as good as she is now,” said Alex. “At the time, I was pretty isolated myself—I had a drinking problem and gambling addictions.

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“That has all changed—and that’s down to her taking each day with a big smile on her face,” he added. “She motivates me and I motivate her.”

Daisy-May got her big break in modeling as a result of Alex watching TV on his day off. He saw a feature from Zebedee Management, a modeling agency which casts children with disabilities in ad campaigns, and got in touch with them on a whim.

Since taking up modeling, Daisy-May has also worked for Nike and Matalan, and represented Lulu et Gigi at London Kids’ Fashion Week.

Daisy-May’s career has since sky-rocketed in popularity, and she has been inundated with interest from people wanting to cast her in modeling projects and advertisements.

Lulu et Gigi founder Eni Hegedűs-Buiron said: “For me, a child is a child and thus is beautiful and perfect,” she added.

Alex, meanwhile, says that he couldn’t be more proud of his daughter.

“[Daisy is] going to be making a little bit of history,” he boasted. “It is a good thing she is first to do it, but going forward, we want child amputees to be modeling at these shows all the time.

“Disability doesn’t stop you; it definitely doesn’t stop Daisy. She is fitter than most grown men I know.“But the modeling doesn’t define her, it is just a part of what does,” he added. “She just does Daisy, the way she goes about life with a smile on her face. 9-Year-old Double Amputee to Make History on ‘New York Fashion Week’ Catwalk

Read More........→February 19, 2026

Tiny Baby Born With Hands Smaller Than a Fingertip is Now Home After a Year–And Developing Normally

Preemie baby Gabriel Golden at Vanderbilt NICU-SWNS

A premature baby, born so tiny his hand was smaller than his dad’s fingertip, is finally home and healthy after a year in the hospital.

Gabriel Golden was born weighing one pound in September 2024 after just 22 weeks gestation.

He endured nearly a year in the Vanderbilt NICU in Nashville, Tennessee, battling chronic lung disease and multiple infections before his parents Caroline and Garreth were finally able to bring their son home three months ago.

Little Gabriel still faces respiratory challenges, but is thriving developmentally.

“It was amazing that somehow, even though his finger was so small, I could feel his grip,” said his father Garreth.

“The strength those tiny fingers held left me speechless.”

Caroline started hemorrhaging 14 weeks into the pregnancy, and for a harrowing eight weeks, doctors warned daily that she could miscarry at any moment.

She recalls bleeding constantly while on bed rest and stuck at home. When at 18 weeks, Caroline’s water broke. The preemie wasn’t considered viable, so the couple waited in limbo until 22 weeks, when Caroline was hospitalized with hopes of buying more time for their son’s development.

The medical team presented stark statistics—and the numbers were devastating: a less than five percent survival rate, with greater than 90 percent odds of neurological problems, heart defects, and vision or hearing loss.

“The biggest thing is that their lungs are barely developed,” Caroline said.

At 22 weeks and four days, Caroline went into labor during an emergency situation that put both their lives at risk. Garreth watched helplessly as medical staff rushed his wife to surgery.

“They’re having her sign paperwork that she could die from the surgery,” recalled Garreth, who spent a lot of time “not knowing what to think or what to do.”

Against all odds, Gabriel was able to use the breathing tube and survived.

Gabriel Golden is finally home -SWNS

But he still had to battle severe broncho-pulmonary dysplasia—a chronic lung disease that left his lungs scarred and rigid. The couple said goodbye to their son on three separate occasions during his first six weeks of life.

Multiple pneumonia infections also set him back, and doctors eventually determined he would need a tracheostomy to survive.

Throughout the ordeal, Garreth traveled three hours each way to his job, continuing to work so they could pay their bills and Caroline tried to maintain a bedside vigil.

Their church community provided financial support, and four primary nurses at Vanderbilt became like family during Gabriel’s extended stay. “We couldn’t have done it without them,” Caroline said.

“One nurse specifically was with us for nine and a half months. I personally couldn’t have done it without her.”

Gabriel Golden family at Vanderbilt NICU-SWNS

Caroline, who had always dreamed of being a mother, says the experience transformed the couple’s faith and perspective on life.

“I was thrust into a situation where my faith was the only thing I had to cling to. Now it’s stronger than I ever thought it could be.”

While Gabriel is home, he still requires a tracheostomy and faces respiratory challenges, but there’s good news, too.

“By the grace of God, Gabriel is completely developmentally appropriate, and has no brain issues,” Caroline told SWNS news agency.

“Other than his lungs, his body is in wonderful working condition.”

The experience gave Garreth a new perspective when he walked through the children’s hospital and saw other families facing their own battles.“As complex as Gabriel is—and as precious as his life is—you walk into Vanderbilt’s Children’s Hospital, and it hits you like a wave of gratitude when you see some of the things going on with these children.” Tiny Baby Born With Hands Smaller Than a Fingertip is Now Home After a Year–And Developing Normally

Read More........→January 08, 2026