An American mother, Meagan Nash, lovingly sent in photos of her son to the children’s clothing brand Oshkosh B’Gosh in hopes that he might be chosen as a model. However, despite meeting all the company’s criteria for height, hair and eye color, her son was not selected due to his Down syndrome.
Living in the state of Georgia, the Nash family was thrilled when Oshkosh B’Gosh announced their model search. Meagan, excited, submitted pictures of her 15-month-old son, Asher.
But the response she got was disheartening. Even after following up with company reps, she learned that Asher was not chosen for their upcoming campaign because he had special needs.
When she heard the words “we don’t want a baby with special needs,” it struck a chord. She was upset. Sure, not all kids can be models, but to reject her son solely due to his Down syndrome?
Meagan thought the company missed out on understanding the unique value Asher could have brought. Prompted by her disappointment, she decided to take action.
She shared Asher’s photos on a Facebook group dedicated to children with Down’s syndrome. The photos, clicked by photographer Crystal Barbee featuring Asher in a blue denim shirt and bow tie, went viral.
She also penned a note to Oshkosh B’Gosh: “Let’s make a difference – share so they see Asher! This handsome boy is ready to show the world what Changing the Face of Beauty truly means.”
At the time of the report, Asher’s photos had received over hundreds of thousands likes on Facebook.
She mentioned in the post, “We are partnering with Changing the Face of Beauty organization and attempting to persuade Oshkosh to consider Asher for their advertisements.” She clarified that it was the modeling agency, not Oshkosh, that had rejected Asher.
