Little three-year-old Parker Constable Rowe is among the standout child influencers who are making their social presence known at Zebedee Talent, the leading inclusive agency for Disabled, Visibly Different, Non-Binary and Trans models.
Parker, from Port Talbot in Wales, who also has Hirschsprung’s Disease and had to have bowel surgery as a baby, has been modelling with Zebedee since he was just one. Despite his young age, he has already built up a huge social media following on Instagram, with another 60,000 followers on TikTok and 25,000 on Facebook. One of Parker’s first videos, showing him smiling, went viral with a massive 30 million views, whilst a recent cute Easter photo of him wearing jeans and a denim jacket amassed almost 23,000 likes. The youngest of four siblings, he is an “incredibly cheerful and sociable baby who adores listening to music” and has taken the modelling world by storm with a huge array of shoots, including Blade&Rose, Jovikids, Bloomsburymill and Johnsons.
“The love for Parker on social media is amazing,” said mum Leanne Constable. “My daughters originally started posting pictures when he was born as he was in Cardiff Hospital and it was a way to keep people updated. We’ve continued with it to raise awareness of Down Syndrome and he’s now got thousands of followers, even though he’s only three. It shows Down Syndrome is not something to be scared of anymore. In the past people with Down Syndrome were put in the corner, but that’s completely different now.”
Little Dottie James, who has Down Syndrome, is just 21 months old and despite only modelling for two months she already has a huge 21,500 followers on Instagram, where she goes under the handle, keepingupwithdotz. Dottie, from Sutton Coldfield, who is “always smiling” and has a “cheeky personality” has already modelled for a huge variety of big names, including Cuddle and Kind, Little Secrets Clothing and Jojo Maman Bebe. She can be seen giggling and smiling in an array of cute outfits on her Instagram page. Mum Lauren said: “I opened the account when Dottie was about three months old. We found out Dottie had Down Syndrome after she was born and originally Instagram was a good support network for me. We were scared and frightened when we first found out that Dottie had Down Syndrome but we have since discovered it’s not that bad and more positive and good than negative and I want to be able to show other people in a similar position what to expect.”
Nikita Fedorchak, aged 11, from London, who has Down Syndrome and autism, has also been modelling with Zebedee for two years and already has almost 19,000 followers on Instagram. His blog states: “I will tell my story! Down Syndrome is Syndrome of Love and Happiness!” and his Instagram page is full of his incredible modelling photos, which have included jobs for Lego, Primark, Zara and Matalan. Mum Elena Ermakova said: “He’s a very happy child and I love that he’s breaking hearts with his modelling. He absolutely loves modelling and being in front of the camera. It can be challenging for him but it gives him structure too. We set up his Instagram page about four years ago and it’s doing well and he is getting lots of modelling jobs.”
Three-year-old Johnny Axe, from Somerset, has won over social media followers with his “cheeky, humorous and determined personality.” He has been modelling for three years since he was six-months-old, with jobs including Moonpig, Bubblegum Balloons and George Asda Clothing, and he now has just over 15,000 followers on Instagram. Posts on his Instagram page attract thousands of comments, with a picture to promote World Down Syndrome Day gathering more than 10,300 likes. “He absolutely loves modelling and when the camera is in front of him he’s a big show off,” said mum Mel Axe. “We get lots of lovely messages from people on social media and some saying their baby has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome but they are not scared about it anymore after seeing Johnny’s Instagram page.”
Matson Asamoah, aged five, from London, was born with one arm but refuses to let limb difference limit him. He loves swimming, dancing and playing football and has modelled for a huge variety of companies, including the Science Museum, Lego House, the O2 Arena and Crew Clothing. His Instagram page, wearetheasamoahs has more than 10,300 followers on Instagram. Mum Sandra Lewis said: “He loves modelling and everyone says that he follows instructions well which really helps. He particularly loves dancing and music and doesn’t let anything hold him back.”
Pretty Dotty Gardner, aged 10, a non-verbal wheelchair user, from Reigate in Surrey, has amassed an amazing 2,800 followers on Instagram. A “happy and fashionable girl who loves the camera,” she has modelled for three years for companies including TK Maxx and Not On The High Street and her Instagram page shows her modelling pretty dresses and colourful outfits. Mum Emma Gardner said: “She has started getting more modelling jobs since building up her social media profile. Dotty loves modelling and fashion and choosing her outfits and particularly loves colour.”
A spokeswoman for Zebedee Talent said: “These influencer accounts are run by parents to raise awareness and normalise kids with disabilities. Sharing their stories has a huge impact on other parents and wider families who also have children with disabilities. These kids really show that no matter how unique you are - you can be included. The kids love being in front of the camera with their engaging personalities and they light up any room. Zebedee kids influencers outreach to a wide online community aligning themselves with brands that they care passionately about.”
Our Story Appeared In
