Posted: 22/01/2017
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Izzy, via her Mum Julie, applied to join Source Models towards the end of last year.
Her Mum wrote to us and as well as sending a model ‘Comp Card’ explained that Izzy had cerebral palsy and gave us some background on her condition which you can read here:
Isabella was born on 2nd February 2004 three months prematurely and she spent the first two months of her life in a neo natal intensive care unit.
After a difficult 18 months Isabella was finally diagnosed as having a stroke which left her with the condition cerebral palsy. At the time of diagnosis, her prognosis was severe and her parents were informed that she may never walk or talk, many suffer from learning difficulties, hearing problems and possibly would have to have a feeding tube fitted.
However, from a very young age Isabella´s determination and courage shone and she had an intense desire from being a baby to be the same as her peers. She started on the difficult schedule of treatments daily from physiotherapy, the occupational therapy to speech therapy and although these treatments were often tiring and painful, her will to succeed and overcome her disability never failed.
At the age of just three and three months Isabella took her first steps. For the following seven years she walked with the use of a Kaye walking frame and splints on her legs, however her continuous hard work and determination led to her walking completely unaided for the past three years and to an excellent standard.
Isabella also attends an extremely high achieving International school where she is always towards the top of her class. She is an extremely bright, bubbly, sociable and chatty girl - who would have thought there as once a time that doctors thought she may never speak. She competes against able-bodied children in many sports, was asked to go for trials for the children’s GB Paralympic swimming team and attends hip hop dances classes every week. She is often a little girl who likes to wear pretty dresses but she now also has that teenager attitude “hip hop” vibe going on and loves the camera.
As an agency we don’t receive many applications from less abled-bodied people and as such do not currently represent less abled-bodied models or artists. Not only does Izzy have a great commercial look we were struck by her determination and the fact she hasn’t let her disability hold her back. On that basis we are delighted to offer her representation and she becomes our first less abled-bodied model on our books and will be represented in our main Teenager section.
If you would like to enquire about using Izzy for a campaign then please contact us on enquiries@sourcemodels.co.uk or call our London office on 020 7692 0691.
