Isabella Neville is the first disabled girl to sign a contract with a major modeling agency.
What girl has not dreamed at least once in her life of proudly pacing the catwalk in the bright spotlight? Isabella Neville, daughter of former England player Phil Neville, was no exception. But she was further from making this dream come true than anyone else. The fact is that at the age of one and a half she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
The 13-year-old girl simply idolized Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, but did not dare to think that someday she would have the opportunity to become their colleague. And then a miracle happened – a large modeling agency Source Models became interested in Isabella. And he offered her a contract.
Isabella’s mother, Julie Neville, says the girl was overjoyed at the great news.
“I don’t think Isabella believed for a minute that anyone would be interested in her.” And I am very sad to realize that Isabella has such thoughts, – Julie told reporters. – I’m very proud of her. What she has achieved is entirely her own merit. Isabella is incredibly courageous and determined, she strives to lead the same life as all other “normal” people.
Moreover, Isabella is against her photo being subjected to any special processing. She wants to be treated the same way as other people.
Isabella was born 10 weeks ahead of schedule, and the doctors did not give guarantees that the girl would survive at all. When she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Phil and Julie were overwhelmed with grief. They had been told that their daughter would probably never be able to walk.
But Isabella has convincingly proved that doctors can be wrong. She learned to walk, she plays sports and dances just as well as other girls her age. To do this, she had to walk with a walker for seven whole years, and splints were put on her legs. Otherwise, she could not move independently.
- Photo Shoot:
- www.sourcemodels.co.uk
After one particularly difficult week, Julie decided to arrange a photo shoot for Isabella – just to cheer up. Isabella later said that it was an incredible, magical day. And the photographer said that the girl behaved in front of the camera absolutely naturally – better than some professional models.
Julie and Phil, after looking at the pictures, decided to show them to modeling agencies. Moreover, they chose those where they would respect the interests of Isabella, and not try to take advantage of her situation. And they found – everyone at Source Models really liked her photos.
“When I saw the pictures of Isabella, I had no idea that she had cerebral palsy. I just thought she looked great – her looks would be in demand, ”said agency director David Gibbs.
Meanwhile, parents are trying their best to support their daughter.
– We want all the dreams of our little girl to come true. At the same time, we strive to protect her and instill in her the idea that nothing is impossible for her. Isabella amazes us every day with her willpower and determination. And she is very proud of what she was able to achieve, says Julie.