The story of Riley, a child with Down syndrome who is now a model thanks to his smile
There is something magical about smiles and the joy of living that children manage to transmit contagiously, which are two things that we as adults should absolutely reevaluate and give new importance to.
In any case, it is impossible to remain indifferent to little Riley Baxter's smile!
In fact, this 5-year-old English boy born with Down syndrome has not only conquered the Internet, but also the world of fashion by becoming a highly sought-after model!
via Metro UK
Stuart and Kristy Baxter did not expect their long-awaited first child to be born with Down syndrome, so the first few years for the two parents were hard.
This was mainly due to their constant concern that their little son would have an uncertain future in a society that perhaps would not be be able to help or value Riley as they would like.
Moreover, they could not have imagined that the lovely smile that was always on their little boy's face would help him to go a long way in finding acceptance in society!
For this reason, the little boy was nicknamed "Smiley Riley" for his continuous joy of life and the ever.present smile on his beautiful little face.
This was a not so small detail that immediately won the hearts of everyone who met him, filling their days with contagious joy!
Nevertheless, the first years of Riley's life were certainly not a walk in the park ...
As Riley grew up, the little baby had great difficulty walking, so much so that up until the age of three, he used a walker to move around.
In addition, he also had enormous difficulties in language acquistion and speaking. Now, however, Riley is an expert in Makaton's sign language and can also say some simple words such as "Mamma" and "Papa" but that are full of meaning!
Given the extroverted nature of their little son, the Baxters decided to enroll him in a modeling agency specialized in young talents with various "disabilities".
Their decision was spot on because now Riley has become a real star at the Zebedee model and talent agency, enjoying himself very much appearing in many special testimonials and hamming it up in front of the camera!
This new activity as a model has ensured that Riley has become more and more aware of his condition and he has learned to live with it in a serene way. In fact, at school, despite his almost total inability to speak, Riley has managed to be accepted and loved by his classmates just like the other students.
It is impossible that a child with such a contagious smile will not be able to make his way in the world, and we bet that the future for little Riley Baxter will be bright and happy!
Kudos to you, little Smiley Riley!
