Ellie Goldstein was born in December 2001, and doctors told her parents that she would never walk or talk due to a disabling condition called Down syndrome. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in extra genetic material from chromosome 21 (trisomy 21). It usually causes a distinct facial appearance, intellectual disability, and developmental delays.
While most parents and child succumb on hearing the word, this group of rebels had other ideas. Yvonne, Ellie’s mother, made a conscious decision to raise Ellie as Ellie first, with Down syndrome and its apparent limitations taking a back seat. The trio of Ellie and her parents acted as a team believing in Ellie’s potential and never giving up on what’s possible.
Ellie’s early life was marked by a heart surgery and months in intensive care. But she recovered soon after and slowly but surely, she started defying expectations.
She started off by walking in 18 months,
Speaking by her third birthday
and started reading even before starting the school.
Impossible as it may sound, Ellie entered the world of modelling in her teens. She was scouted by Zebedee, a talent agency, and landed her first major gig in Superdrug’s Christmas advert in 2018.
Since then, Ellie has graced the catwalks of London Fashion Week and even made history as the first person with Down syndrome to be on the cover of Vogue Italia. Ellie continues to take on new impossible projects and create a trend out of it by changing, breaking and moulding the world’s perception on what is impossible!
Ellie’s true impact cannot be counted or measured but here are 3 specific ways she has been an icon for us and many others.
- Inspiring us to aim higher: Ellie is a role model for people with Down syndrome or anyone facing significant challenges in life. She shows that anything is possible if we can work to build the impossible mindset.
- Breaking Barriers with Impossible Results: Ellie is helping to break down stereotypes about what people with challenges can and cannot do. She is showing the world that people with challenges like Down syndrome are just as capable and nothing is impossible to them.
- Promoting Inclusivity: Ellie is an avid advocate for inclusion and diversity. She is helping to create a world where everyone is accepted and celebrated for who they are and not limit that they can bring to the table.
