Mama Cax

Cacsmy Brutus (November 20, 1989 – December 16, 2019), known as Mama Cax, was an American-Haitian model and disabled rights activist.[1][2][3] With her prosthetic right leg, Cax was a proudly unconventional figure in modern fashion modeling.

Mama Cax
Born
Cacsmy Brutus

November 20, 1989
New York City, New York, United States
DiedDecember 16, 2019(2019-12-16) (aged 30)
London, United Kingdom
NationalityAmerican–Haitian
OccupationModel, activist

Early life

Cacsmy Brutus was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on November 20, 1989.[4] She grew up in Haiti, and at age 14, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and lung cancer—doctors gave her three weeks to live.[3][5] Two years later, she received a hip replacement which failed, leading to the amputation of her right leg.[6][7] She later said that it took several years to regain her confidence and that she hid her prosthetic leg for several years.[8]

She earned a bachelor's and master's degrees in International Relations.[9]

At age 18, Cax learned to play wheelchair basketball.

Modeling

On September 15, 2016, Cax was invited to the White House to participate in a fashion show put on by Barack and Michelle Obama. At that time, she was working in the office of the Mayor of New York City while finishing her studies.[10]

In 2017, Cax appeared in her first commercial advertisement, and soon signed with the modeling agency JAG Models in New York.[4] Among her appearances, she walked the runway in shows for Chromat[4] and Rihanna's Fenty Beauty.[11] Her later commercial work included ad campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger and Sephora.[4]

She walked at New York Fashion Week in 2018, parading in a swimsuit designed by Becca McCharen, who seeks to change the "standards of beauty".[3][12] That year, she made the cover of Teen Vogue with Jillian Mercado and Chelsea Werner.[13]

In 2019, Cax became the face of Olay brand for their sunscreen marketing campaign.[14] In October 2019, Cax announced she would be participating in the New York Marathon in a wheelchair.[15]

Death

While in England in December 2019, Cax was admitted to Royal London Hospital, suffering from severe abdominal pains and blood clots in the lung; she died in the hospital on December 16, 2019.[3][4][16]

See also

References
  1. "Model-activist Mama Cax dead at 30". Page Six Style. December 20, 2019.
  2. Hess, Liam (20 December 2019). "The Trailblazing Model Mama Cax Has Died at 30". Vogue. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  3. Hortan, Adrian (20 December 2019). "Boundary-breaking model Mama Cax dies at 30". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 December 2019. Mama Cax, a boundary-breaking model, activist and advocate for the fashion industry’s inclusion of differently abled models and people of color, has died of complications from a weeklong illness, her family announced on Friday, via social media. She was 30.
  4. Taylor, Derrick Bryson (December 22, 2019). "Mama Cax, Amputee Model and Disability Activist, Dies at 30". NYTimes.com.
  5. "Fashion Blogger and Cancer Survivor Mama Cax Talks Body Positivity, Self-Care, and the Skincare Products Behind Her Gorgeous Glow". Health.com. April 18, 2019.
  6. "Mama Cax on Her Amputation, Beauty, and Body Positivity: "I Felt Pride, and That Changed Everything"". Glamour.com. May 3, 2017.
  7. "Mama Cax Shares How Losing a Leg Didn't Make Her Feel Any Less Beautiful (VIDEO)". Allure.com. October 26, 2016.
  8. "Mama Cax: What losing a leg taught me about beauty". NBC News. July 22, 2019.
  9. "About". mamacax.com.
  10. "Model-Activist Mama Cax on Traveling with a Disability". HERE Magazine. 2018.
  11. "No One's Gonna Miss The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show". BuzzFeed. November 25, 2019.
  12. "The Chromat Runway Continues to Champion Body Diversity". Papermag.com. September 8, 2018.
  13. "This Model-Activist and Amputee's Runway Walk Just Lit Up the Chromat Show". Vogue. September 8, 2018.
  14. "Mama Cax Teams Up With Olay To Open The Dialogue On SPF And Protecting Black Skin". Essence. March 26, 2019.
  15. "Model Mama Cax Is Hand Cycling The NYC Marathon — Here's How She Trains". Bustle. October 29, 2019.
  16. "Mama Cax Has Passed Away at 30". Teen Vogue. December 20, 2019.
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