Karrie Brown is an aspiring model. Granted, she has only had a few photo shoots, but at the age of 17 that's pretty successful. She was even flown to Wet Seal's corporate headquarters for a special shoot.
Did we mention Karrie Brown has Down Syndrome?
Karrie has refused to let Down Syndrome stop her from being the loving girl that she is. She has always wanted to be a model, so nothing is going to stop her. In fact, she is on an amazing path to achieving her dreams.
It all started when her mother, Sue, posted a picture of Karrie to Facebook. Many of Sue Brown's friends, who also have children with Down Syndrome, commented on the picture.
They loved how the clothes fit Karrie and wondered where they could buy similar items for their own children.
The answer was Wet Seal, Karrie's favorite brand. The clothing store had begun carrying a line for curvier girls and Karrie loved their clothes. Not only that, but she hoped to model for the company someday.
All of her friends loved the idea and encouraged Sue to set up the Facebook page, "Karrie Brown - Modeling the Future." It didn't take long to get Wet Seal's attention.
Click below to read more about Karrie's amazing journey!
In only one day, Wet Seal contacted the Browns. They told them that if Karrie's page earned 10K likes by that Friday, they would fly Karrie to California to have her own professional shoot. The page is now up to nearly 20,000 likes. (Click HERE to like the page yourself!)
Wet Seal flew Karrie and her mom from Collinsville, IL, to its headquarters in Los Angeles, CA. It paid for flights, a hotel, a new wardrobe, and a trip to Disneyland.
Sue documented the entire trip. Karrie was absolutely glowing throughout the entire experience. Karrie was able to model Wet Seal's clothing at their headquarters. She even had an amazing welcoming committee at the hotel whenever she arrived. Karrie was treated like royalty!
When Karrie was born, a geneticist told Sue that she should never expect anything from her daughter. It's hard to explain just how WRONG he was!
Sue hopes that Karrie will be a source of hope for others who face challenges like her own. She even started a non-profit organization called "Karried Away" that will help young adults find meaningful employment.
Karrie's real dream, though, is to help others learn. She told her mother she'd like to work in a library some day after high school.
"What about modeling?" her mother asked.
She had a simple answer.
"I'm already a model."
God bless Karrie, she is such an inspiration to us all. No matter what happens in life, have the strength to follow your dreams! God made each and every one of us special. We are all different, so love yourself and love others. :)
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