Mama Cax

Cacsmy Brutus was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on November 20, 1989.[4] She grew up in Haiti, and at age 14, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and lung cancer—doctors gave her three weeks to live.[3][5] Two years later, she received a hip replacement which failed, leading to the amputation of her right leg.[6][7] She later said that it took several years to regain her confidence and that she hid her prosthetic leg for several years.[8]

She earned a bachelor's and master's degrees in International Relations.[9]

At age 18, Cax learned to play wheelchair basketball.

On September 15, 2016, Cax was invited to the White House to participate in a fashion show put on by Barack and Michelle Obama. At that time, she was working in the office of the Mayor of New York City while finishing her studies.[10]

In 2017, Cax appeared in her first commercial advertisement, and soon signed with the modeling agency JAG Models in New York.[4] Among her appearances, she walked the runway in shows for Chromat[4] and Rihanna's Fenty Beauty.[11] Her later commercial work included ad campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger and Sephora.[4]

She walked at New York Fashion Week in 2018, parading in a swimsuit designed by Becca McCharen, who seeks to change the "standards of beauty".[3][12] That year, she made the cover of Teen Vogue with Jillian Mercado and Chelsea Werner.[13]

In 2019, Cax became the face of Olay brand for their sunscreen marketing campaign.[14] In October 2019, Cax announced she would be participating in the New York Marathon in a wheelchair.[15]

While in England in December 2019, Cax was admitted to Royal London Hospital, suffering from severe abdominal pains and blood clots in the lung; she died in the hospital on December 16, 2019.[3][4][16]

• List of Haitian Americans
• List of disability rights activists
• List of Teen Vogue cover models