Mama Cax

Not to be confused with Mama Cass.
Mama Cax
Born
Cacsmy Brutus

November 20, 1989
New York City, U.S.
DiedDecember 16, 2019(2019-12-16) (aged 30)
London, England
Occupation(s)Model, activist

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

Early life

Cacsmy Brutus was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on November 20, 1989.[3] She grew up in Haiti, and at age 14, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and lung cancer—doctors gave her three weeks to live.[2][4] Two years later, she received a hip replacement which failed, leading to the amputation of her right leg.[5][6] She later said that it took several years to regain her confidence and that she hid her prosthetic leg for several years.[7]

She earned bachelor's and master's degrees in international relations.[8]

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 with Dhiren Raja while finishing her studies.[9]

In 2017, Cax appeared in her first commercial advertisement, and soon signed with the modelling agency JAG Models in New York.[3] Among her appearances, she walked the runway in shows for Chromat[3] and Rihanna's Fenty Beauty.[10] Her later commercial work included ad campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger and Sephora.[3]

She walked at New York Fashion Week in 2018, parading in a swimsuit designed by Becca McCharen (CEO and Creative Director for Chromat[3]), who seeks to change the "standards of beauty".[2][11] That year, she made the cover of Teen Vogue with Jillian Mercado and Chelsea Werner.[12]

In 2019, Cax became the face of the Olay brand for their sunscreen marketing campaign.[13] In October 2019, Cax announced she would be participating in the New York Marathon in a wheelchair.[14]

Death

While in England in December 2019, Cax was hospitalized at the Royal London Hospital for severe abdominal pains and blood clots in the lung, which were later confirmed as a pulmonary embolism; she died in the hospital on December 16, 2019.[2][3][15]

Legacy

On February 8, 2023, Cax was honored with a Google Doodle as part of Black History Month.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ Hess, Liam (20 December 2019). "The Trailblazing Model Mama Cax Has Died at 30". Vogue. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Hortan, Adrian (20 December 2019). "Boundary-breaking model Mama Cax dies at 30". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. 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.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Taylor, Derrick Bryson (December 22, 2019). "Mama Cax, Amputee Model and Disability Activist, Dies at 30". NYTimes.com. Archived from the original on May 20, 2020.
  4. ^ "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. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  5. ^ "Mama Cax on Her Amputation, Beauty, and Body Positivity: "I Felt Pride, and That Changed Everything"". Glamour.com. May 3, 2017. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  6. ^ "Mama Cax Shares How Losing a Leg Didn't Make Her Feel Any Less Beautiful (VIDEO)". Allure.com. October 26, 2016. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  7. ^ "Mama Cax: What losing a leg taught me about beauty". NBC News. July 22, 2019. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  8. ^ "About". mamacax.com. 4 February 2015. Archived from the original on 8 August 2015.
  9. ^ "Model-Activist Mama Cax on Traveling with a Disability". HERE Magazine. 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-12-20. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
  10. ^ "No One's Gonna Miss The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show". BuzzFeed. November 25, 2019. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  11. ^ "The Chromat Runway Continues to Champion Body Diversity". Papermag.com. September 8, 2018. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  12. ^ "This Model-Activist and Amputee's Runway Walk Just Lit Up the Chromat Show". Vogue. September 8, 2018. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  13. ^ "Mama Cax Teams Up With Olay To Open The Dialogue On SPF And Protecting Black Skin". Essence. March 26, 2019. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  14. ^ "Model Mama Cax Is Hand Cycling The NYC Marathon — Here's How She Trains". Bustle. October 29, 2019. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  15. ^ "Mama Cax Has Passed Away at 30". Teen Vogue. December 20, 2019. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  16. ^ "Celebrating Mama Cax". Google. 8 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.