An East Belfast mum has told of her pride after her daughter with Down Syndrome walked her first catwalk.
Linzi Graham's daughter Matilda (3) was born with clubbed feet and a heart condition and later developed alopecia when she was 2.
This month, the toddler walked the catwalk for Local Women Magazine's 'Fashion for All' show at Foyleside Shopping Centre in Derry.
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Linzi, 32, says her daughter is 'living her life to the fullest' and wants to show that "having a child with a disability doesn't mean they cannot achieve great things".
Matilda had done a bit of modelling with local boutiques before she turned 2, but took a break for learning, physio and speech and language.
Linzi told Be the show featured people of all backgrounds, ethnicities and disabilities.
"With Matilda only being 3, a whole new situation and being somewhere she doesn't know, there is a lot of sitting around in the background - she was so placid and easy-going, chatting away to everybody.
"She was really happy. She absolutely loved it and walked the catwalk with no fear in her. I held her hand as it was on a podium. She is still quite tiny. People with disabilities can still do this field of work," she said.
Linzi has always spread a positive message and wants to show people that anything is possible.
She added: "Just showing people that having a child with a disabilities, if you unexpectedly have a child and maybe they are born and you didn't realise they were going to have a disability, it doesn't mean that they are not going to achieve things - even in their younger years.
"We obviously didn't expect to have so many opportunities already and she was born with clubbed feet, we didn't even know if she would walk properly down the line.
"Her feet were kind of curled in and she had treatment for that, it was pretty successful and it's ongoing. Even something like that."
Last year, Matilda was diagnosed with alopecia, which her mum says "took away her identity".
Linzi said: "She lost her hair and it is slowly starting to return. Nobody knew [if it would]. It was literally a guessing game.
"Having alopecia, having a heart condition, some people would maybe think it would limit their child to certain things, the clubbed feet and obviously she has Downs - all these different diagnoses but she was still able to have that opportunity and raise awareness at the show. She got lots of cheers.
"I was really proud. It was a major deal for me. I will not hide Matilda away because of her disability. I know most people wouldn't do that nowadays, but back 20-years-ago she wouldn't have been given any opportunity.
"She is going really well."
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