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'Trolls Called My Son a Genetic Anomaly And Now He's A Model'

Parker wearing the Bonds floral onesie. Credit: Credit: Angelico Jarvis (http://www.angelicojarvis-photography.com.au/
Parker wearing the Bonds floral onesie. Credit: Credit: Angelico Jarvis (http://www.angelicojarvis-photography.com.au/

When Kat Abianac entered her son Parker into the Baby Bonds competition earlier this year, she could never have envisioned the outcome. While Parker went on to win People's Choice first place, he was badly trolled online, leaving Kat devastated at the hurtful comments he received.

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You see, Parker was born with Down Syndrome. That hasn't stopped him from triumphing over the trolls though - he's now the brand ambassador of a kid's shoe brand, and his mum couldn't be prouder.

But Parker’s journey to the top hasn’t been an easy one.

Kat and Parker playing together. Credit: Angelico Jarvis (http://www.angelicojarvis-photography.com.au/)
Kat and Parker playing together. Credit: Angelico Jarvis (http://www.angelicojarvis-photography.com.au/)

It began after Kat posted an innocent photo of her son in a floral onesie to Facebook - and watched in horror as the negative comments rolled in.

“Total strangers on the internet told me I should have aborted, and called my son a 'genetic anomaly'. I saw more than one comment from women saying 'good on you for having him, I could never have done it,” says Kat.

After seeing the negative reaction, Kat was alerted to how generic-looking most baby models are. Parker was simply a representation of a little boy, and Kat believed the world should be celebrating differences, rather than discriminating against them. So she decided to enter him in the Bonds competition.

“I decided I would enter to show them,” Kat says. “But, it's not about 'giving a kid with a disability a shot in the spotlight. Not at all,” Kat says. “It's about company's seeing that parents truly want to see a reflection of their own children when making purchases.”

“I hope in the future in Australian media and advertising, parents who have children with a disability flick through catalogues and websites and see a decent proportion of children with similarities to their own.”

Kat and Parker. Credit: Angelico Jarvis (http://www.angelicojarvis-photography.com.au/)
Kat and Parker. Credit: Angelico Jarvis (http://www.angelicojarvis-photography.com.au/)

And with that, Kat, took her first step towards equality in the modelling industry, as Parker was a people's choice winner for the Bonds 2016 competition.

Unfortunately, some people continued to troll her beautiful son, but Kat wouldn’t let it break her.

“I didn't reply to them. I just reported the worst comments and moved on. Sadly, many weren't removed as they were deemed not to have breached Facebook guidelines.“

But with the negativity came a spate of support.

"I've had hundreds of people reach out to me with their own stories of raising children with disability. The human spirit never ceases to amaze me. There are some incredible journeys and stories out there. I am blessed to have met so many new friends through the special needs community - parents have a bond like no other."

Determined not to let the trolls win, Kat has continued to fulfill her little boy's dream - he's just been signed as the face of shoe brand Attipas Australia.

“We were over the moon that Parker gets to model again, because he just loves being in front of a camera! He even pulls a 'camera face' when I pull a camera out.. it's such a large grin! I love it, but I always prefer taking candid images of him playing or sitting with his much-loved big sister Annerley,” smiles Kat.

Attipas’s founder and CEO, Caroline Attipas, says that Parker was exactly what they’d been looking for.

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“Attipas had been looking for a brand ambassador for a little while - while we wanted a child with character and spunk, it's not just about a face! We want a child who loves wearing our shoes. When I heard Parker fetches his pair every morning to put on for the day, I asked his mum on the spot if he would star in our spring/summer collection and be our Brand Ambassador.”