Ten years have shown that living with young Mia—who has Down syndrome—was hardly the burden some predicted. Her family, the Armstrongs, can attest to that.
The 10-year-old, now a model living in California, also became an advocate for others with disabilities.
After appearing in a Walgreens Red Nose Day campaign in 2017, Mia was flooded with modeling requests for big brand commercials, and she’s been working ever since. She’s even represented Tommy Hilfiger’s new line of adaptive clothing.
She’s built up a lot of confidence.
Parents of three Cara and Jack Armstrong had to overcome slews of false assumptions about her condition when their daughter was born a decade ago. They heard the same three words over and over since Mia was born: “I’m so sorry.”
They want to let the world know there’s nothing to be sorry for.
“Mia just teaches us every day to be bold about the things that we want to do, and to take chances,” she added.
Mia’s remarkable life has shattered the Armstrongs’ early expectations, they say.
The loving Mia, her proud mom continued, is “literally the glue that just binds our family together.”
She was just 7 years old when she appeared on The View, and was the first person with Down syndrome ever to do so. She was accompanied by her mom and her brother Jack.
When asked what he loves best about his sister, he smiled and said, “I don’t love just one thing about Mia, I love everything.”
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