Brisbane model back home from NYC runway
When 18-year-old Queenslander Maddie Stuart recently strutted down the New York Fashion Week runway, she made history and received international applause.
In handcrafted couture, she received a standing ovation from fashion elite for being the second Down syndrome model to walk in NYFW.
Now Maddie has returned home to Queensland where she walked down the runway at the Sunshine Coast Fashion Festival.
She has managed to capture the hearts of people worldwide with her message for social inclusion and acceptance.
She also has managed to capture the heart of Robbie Streeting, 20, her longtime love. She recently posted on social media several snaps of the pair in loving embraces celebrating Robbie’s birthday.
Stuart has proven that beating the odds is about perseverance as she suffers from three holes in her heart, a leaky valve, and Down syndrome.
"She's meant to get on the catwalk and look a certain way," her mum and manager Rosanne Stuart says.
Maddie, as many people with Down Syndrome do, struggled with her weight for a long time, and last year she decided to get healthy and chase after her dreams. How she has succeeded.
