Girl with Downs Syndrome forges successful modelling career

A seven-year-old girl born with Down Syndrome is building a successful child modelling career. Grace Isabella Wharton from Cheshire,  signed with an agency last year and has already worked a number of jobs for the likes of Disney and CBeebies. The schoolgirl also starred in a diversity campaign called, ‘Behind the Scars’, and has amassed more than 1,000 followers on Instagram. And despite being born with Down Syndrome, a condition that significantly affects the fundamental aspects of one’s life, Grace is determined to not let it define her with the help of her parents, Cheryl and John Wharton. 

Cheryl, 48, said: ‘Grace absolutely loves being in front of the camera. ‘Everyone has always said she’s really cute and she loves posing, she loves showing off her catwalk modelling. ‘She absolutely loves the attention. Grace is definitely one in a million.’  Cheryl was devastated when she first discovered that her unborn baby was going to have Down Syndrome - but abortion was never an option for her and her husband John, 47. She said: ‘Of course, I was devastated at first. ‘There’s such a lot of negativity surrounding Down Syndrome. I cried for 24 hours. 

‘But we got up the next morning and said no matter what, this is our baby. ‘And from that point on, we have just celebrated everything about her. She is incredible.’ And six years later, Grace’s confidence reached a new level that Cheryl never thought was possible. Cheryl recognised Grace’s desire for attention and her love of being in front of the camera. ‘We saw an advertisement on Facebook asking for a model with a disability,’ Cheryl continued. ‘We thought, why not? And a couple of weeks later we were invited to Grace’s first official photo-shoot.