The Madeline Stuart Story & Interview

Madeline Stuart is a young beautiful and remarkable Australian woman who is an inspiration to many.
Madeline has Down Syndrome but that has not stopped her from working hard and achieving her dream.
Although some people discriminate against disability, the model agency has welcomed Madeline with open arms.
Madeline has been recognised with the "Melange Model of The Year" and she even has her very own namesake bag too.

I also need to mention Madeline's mother and manager, Rosanne who has been a huge support to her daughter.

You can follow Madeline via her social dedia page on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/madelinesmodelling.

Also here is a link to her website.
http://www.madelinestuartmodel.com

Madeline is the ambassador and a founder of a dance company called Inside "Outside Theatre Company" which launched a Dance Ensemble.
The Dance Ensemble was established for young people with disabilities who have talent to move towards working professionally in the industry.
Please click on the Go Fund Me
http://www.gofundme.com/k22cw8ny 
Any donation, big or small can help.

__________________________________________

My Interview With Madeline Stuart.

Name: Madeline Stuart

Age: 19

What disability do you have?
Down Syndrome

How does your disability affect your daily life?
I am reliant on my mum for a lot of things.
I need her to take me to places as I can’t drive and we have no public transport where I live.

When and why did you decide to become a model?
In August 2014 I went to a fashion parade and decided that is what I wanted to do.

What agency do you work for?
I don’t have an agency, I wish I did.

How did you feel at your very first photo shoot?
Like a princess, I love doing photoshoots.

Have you met any celebrities through your work?
A few but we are just all people, some of us are just more well known.

Are your family and friends supportive of your career?
My mum and my friends are supportive, there has been a few that were not but I have to live my life how I want to.

What are your thoughts on the "size 0" debate within the model industry?
I am a size 0 so I fall within that scale.
I do think it silly that we usually only portray one sort of individual on the runway as that is like reading a fairy tale. It does not reflect real life.

Can you share any beauty tips with me? Don’t wear to much makeup, try to be as natural as possible

What advice would you give someone wanting to be a model?
Believe in yourself and be true to yourself.

Finally, don't let anyone ever put you down or tell you that you can't do something.
Disability or not, the World we live in has many doors to open with many wonderful and exciting opportunities along the way.

__________________________________________

Monday 18th April 2016

Madeline's manager Rosanne has emailed me an update which I've added below.

Leaving for moscow.

Madeline stuart model

I thought I might send you this, we are currently at the airport about to leave for Russia. I have attached the program and some photos from this morning of Maddy’s last gym session on the way to the airport and her friends that came and saw her off.

The professional photos were taken last week on our block of land in Brisbane that have just come through. Photographer Saidie Creative.

Hi we are happy to supply you some pictures but I would need you to link Madeline's social media in your story which is below, if you can only link one please link FB.

Facebook;   https://www.facebook.com/madelinesmodelling.

Please send me the link once it is online so I can post it and if it is printed please send us a copy to the address below.

Kind regards

Rosanne Stuart

Manager

Madeline Stuart Modelings

https://www.facebook.com/madelinesmodelling.

 

 

11 attachments

singapore1.jpg

  ·  Print

singapore2.jpg

  ·  Print

singapore3.jpg

  ·  Print

singapore4.jpg

  ·  Print

singapore5.jpg

  ·  Print

singapore7.jpg

  ·  Print

singapore8.jpg

  ·  Print

singapore9.jpg

  ·  Print

Astrakhan.docx

CFW_business_and_cultural_program.docx

press release russia.doc

  ·  Print

Skin Cancer

There are many types of cancers however one we hear so little about is "skin cancer"
Skin cancer is the growth of abnormal skin cells mostly caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun and/or tanning beds.
It triggers mutations or genetic defects that lead to the skin cells multiplying rapidly and forming malignant tumours.

There are three main types of skin cancers;
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Melanoma

We can't hide completely from the sun on a hot day, especially if we are on holiday but what we should do is use a strong sun screen and often.

In my own personal opinion I believe tanning beds should be made illegal, not only can they cause skin cancer but they can give you unhealthy skin too.
Places that advertise the use of tanning beds are encouraging bad habits and risks to your health.

Stop killing yourself with your insecurities and love the body you already have!

__________________________________________

I had the opportunity of interviewing a Judy Cloud, a woman who was diagnosed with skin cancer.
Here are my questions and her answers.

Name: 
Judy Cloud

Age: 
49

When were you diagnosed with skin cancer?
I was diagnosed with skin cancer in 1995.  I went to see a dermatologist about a small area on my face - it was approximately the size of a pencil eraser, and it would bleed, scab over, then continue the process, never fully healing.  The dermatologist said I had cancer and he was going to do radiation on my face.  Since the area was right under my eye, I told the dermatologist I’d like to get a second opinion.  When I went back to work after the appointment, one of the attorneys I worked with said he’d call his friend, who was a plastic surgeon.  An appointment was scheduled, and I was in to see the plastic surgeon within a week or two.  He told me I had skin cancer, and he scheduled me for surgery. 

What treatment have you received?
I had two additional surgeries between 1995 and 2005, removing several cancerous spots with both those surgeries.  I then switched jobs and had really bad health insurance for years, and then lost my health insurance for a time, so I could not treat with my plastic surgeon during this time even though I had more spots that needed removed.  Once I switched jobs again and got good health coverage I returned to see my plastic surgeon, and he scheduled me for my most-recent surgery, which was in September 2015.  During that surgery, I had 23 places removed, ten by excision (meaning I had ten places on me that had stitches) and 13 by laser.

What is your prognosis for the future?
As far as prognosis for the future, once a person has skin cancer, they are at greater risk for recurrence.  I am keeping a close eye on my skin and am hopeful that I do not have to have another surgery, especially one as invasive as my last surgery was, but my prognosis is currently unknown.

Do you know the cause of your skin cancer?
Both my plastic surgeon and the dermatologist with whom I currently treat have told me that my skin cancer is caused by over-exposure to the sun and tanning bed use when I was younger.  I’m not here to take on the tanning bed industry, but I think people should do their research and make an informed decision on the dangers of tanning.  When I was younger, we didn’t have the benefit of the knowledge about the dangers of tanning and over-exposure to the sun that we have now.

What advice would you give to another person in your situation?
My advice to others would be to not go to tanning beds and be more careful with sun exposure.  People cannot completely avoid the sun, but they can use sunscreen and limit time in the sun.  Having a tan isn’t worth dying for.  Also, people should also keep a close eye on their skin, and have anything that looks out of the ordinary checked by a dermatologist.  People can’t fix the damage they’ve already done to their skin, but they can take good care of their skin from this point forward - their future self will thank them!

Dragon's Den Interviews

Dragon's Den is a television series.

Dragon's Den is a show where entrepreneurs with business ideas pitch them to the wealthy investors known as "The Dragons".

If you feel you'd like to apply for the show visit https://www.innovate-design.co.uK and click on the "request info pack"

The pack includes; the investing for profit guide, patent advice & how to patent an idea, confidentiality agreements and idea submission forms.

I wish all budding entrepreneurs the best of luck for the future!

I have recently been in contact with several people who appeared on the show, some who received investments from a dragon(s), some who were offered investments but turned them down and some who were rejected however all entrepreneurs I've spoken to went on to build their business and make it a success.

My first interview is with the Blue Badge Company, a company that enchances independence in the everyday lives of people with disabilities. 40% of the people working for the company have domestic responsibilities or a disability of some sort. The staff consists of many wonderful and talented people and let's not forget the team mascot who is a beautiful white dog called Bodhi.

   

                                                                              Blue Badge Company 

It all started in 2011 when two friends sat in the bedroom of a small house in Bristol, hand stitching specially designed wallets for disabled parking permits. Fed up with what we saw as the universally dull, clinical products available to disabled consumers, my friend, a Blue Badge holder, and I aimed to create colourful display wallets that would inject some style into the disability market. Thanks to better healthcare and an ageing population, the number of elderly and disabled consumers is growing fast, but until now they have been largely overlooked by major retailers and been limited in choice to dull, clinical products that say more about their disability than personality and tastes. We set up Blue Badge Company to change this and happily high street stores seem to be waking up to the growing demand from disabled consumers for stylish and desirable products.

The Dragons loved our brand and products, but I declined Touker Suleyman’s offer as he wanted to take our manufacturing overseas, and we are all about being Made In The UK! So I left the den empty handed, but thankfully Blue Badge Company has been reaping the benefits ever since. The show made far more people aware of our beautiful products and orders have flooded in ever since.

We are proud to be UK manufacturers and all of our parking permit holders are handmade in our workroom in Bristol. About 40% of our workforce either has a disability or is a primary caregiver, which ensures the team has a first-hand appreciation of various disabilities from mental health issues to physical impairments. I believe a company is only as strong as the team behind it. Providing work for people who find it more difficult to access employment really boosts personal confidence and team moral.

Our best selling product so far has been our Navy Drill parking permit cover, which is popular with kids and adults, men and women alike! We are also seeing more and more orders come in for our practical cushioned lap trays that come in fabulous fabrics to brighten up the everyday!

We are really excited to keep innovating to improve people’s experience of everyday life. We have just launched a new range of colourful folding walking sticks with matching carry cases, as well as toiletry bags and purses, ideal for storing everything from lipstick and shower gel to painkillers and medical equipment that our customers need to have with them at all times.

Please visit Blue Badge Company at:

www.blue badge company.co.uk ______________________________________________ 

What is your business name? AWAKE Chocolate

Contact details - Matt Schnarr, co-founder and managing partner

When and why was the business established - Founded in 2012 to provide people a great tasting alternative to coffee and energy drinks. 

What products do you sell - AWAKE Chocolate bars and bites. AWAKE Energy Granola (sold in 2,000 Walmart USA stores, see www.awakegranola.com)

Where are your products manufactured - Made in Canada

What was your experiences of being on Dragons Den - It was and continues to be great. David Chilton invested in our business and continues to be a great friend, mentor and advisor. 

What are your plans for the future of the business - Continue to launch great tasting ways to wake up. Grow our awareness and distribution across North America. 

AWAKEChocolate.com 

AWAKEGranola.com (NEW!)

What Is AWAKE Video

Hyper Activities Video

AWAKE on Dragons Den

______________________________________________

 

Adam Croft

Adam Croft, is an author and actor who has won critical acclaim plus 3 Amazon bestsellers.
His "Kempston Hardwick mystery books" have been adapted into audio plays starring well known people on British television.

I personally have read two of his books; Too Close For Comfort and Rough Justice.
Too Close For Comfort is about a murder squad trying to solve the murder of a known prostitute.
Its a little bit short but still a good read with a little twist and mystery along the way.
Rough Justice is about a paedophile who has been found dead, the story makes the reader won "is it justice or something else".
While reading this book I was gripped intensely to each and every page.
I was addicted to this book.

Name
Adam Croft

Age
29

Occupation
Author

When did you first become interested in writing
I always have been. I've written stories ever since I was young. I don't remember a first story, as such. It's always been a part of me. I remember writing pirate stories for my brother when I was about 7, and writing scripts for my own soap opera on an old electric typewriter when I was about 11.

How many books have you published
Nine fiction books so far, plus a few non-fiction

Which has been your favourite material to write to date
Probably my psychological thrillers. They're a lot of fun and allow me to write from a first-person perspective and make bizarre things happen to ordinary people.

If you weren't a writer what would you be and why
Dead.
Because I would never do anything else.

Adam Croft
Author and playwright
Could you kill your wife to save your daughter? 
Get my worldwide bestselling psychological thriller, Her Last Tomorrow.
*4x international bestseller*
View my books on Amazon
View my plays at my publishers' websites: Lazy Bee |TreePress

__________________________________________

Pee Wee Pumps

Michelle Holbrook is the creator and founder of Pee Wee Pumps which are "high heeled shoes" for babies aged 0-6 months.

Would you let your baby wear high heeled shoes?
Please comment below with your own personal opinions.

Michelle kindly agreed to an interview.

Name:
Michele Holbrook

Business Name:
Pee Wee Pumps

Location:
Pennsylvania-USA

Contact Details:   info@peeweepumps.com 
855-510-0151

When and why did you start this business:
The idea for Pee Wee Pumps first originated in 2009, when founder Michele Holbrook first came across a pair of high heel infant crib shoes.
After telling herself that if she ever had a baby girl that she’d buy them, she was blessed with a beautiful daughter in 2012.
However, she wasn’t able to find the original infant crib heels, and after searching endlessly for a pair, she finally found one on an online auction site.
But to her dismay and disappointment, they were flawed when she received them.
They just wouldn’t stay on her daughter’s feet!
Determined to fix the problem, Michele went right to work modifying the structure of the tiny and fashionable high heels infant crib shoes.
After two years of brainstorming, she finally came up with a totally new design that caters to your baby.
The flexible soft shoe with a collasible heel that will form to your daughter’s foot, whether it’s narrow or wide, while its adjustable strap allows the shoe to stay on and provides a comfortable fit.
They are considered to be a Fun Photo Prop or Cute Fashion Accessory.

Do you cater for both sexes:
We only sell high heels for little girls at the moment

What age group are they aimed at:
0-6 months ONLY

The Pole

When we think of pole dancing, most of us assume its what women do in X-Rated films but that is not always true.

There are four types of pole;
Pole Erotic
Pole Artistic
Pole Fitness
Pole Sport

Pole Erotic is a type of pole dance mainly used within the sex industry and it involves swinging around a pole in lingerie and high heels.
Pole Artistic is a performance art, it combines dance and acrobatics centred on a pole.
Pole Fitness is an extension of pole dancing that uses the pole as a versatile piece of exercise equipment; it improves muscle tone, flexibility, coordination and posture.
Pole Sport is the next level up from Pole Fitness and involves training hard for various competitions.

With all fitness programmes and sports there is the issue of safety.
Before you perform don't drink alcohol, take medications that impair your judgement, use oils or lotions or body make-up.
Don't take part if you have an injury.
Use a crash mat, a grip aid and stay hydrated.
Become CPR certified and make sure that your boss or tutor is CPR certified too.

There is lots of stigma against "the pole" and I'm here to share some information I have gathered and an interview that took place between myself and my good friend Kelly who is a POLE FITNESS DANCER.

__________________________________________

This is Kelly's story...

We call it pole fitness!
We do it in levels from bronze to diamond.
Each level you learn different moves starting to invert from silver and then do inverted moves in gold upwards.
Each level we do the moves to a dance which can be sexy, fast, slow etc dependent on the moves.
We then do showcases to show to our nearest and dearest what we've learnt.
I've joined pole to show myself I can... after my operations and never thinking I'd have the leg strength, it makes me feel like I've over come hurdles.
I go once a week at the moment but I hope to up it to twice a week.
I dance at pole effect in Worcester, UK.
I have gained confidence, flexibility and strength.
The sport is very challenging due to pole burn and bruising!!
The more you do a move though the better the pain barrier becomes.
I hope to keep going after my next operation in the summer and one day want to be able to tutor at least bronze level.

(I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Kelly the best of luck with her next operation and I hope she reaches her goal of becoming a Pole Fitness Tutor one day)
__________________________________________

Scotland's Real Life Rapunzel

15 year old Aaron Fernando is a remarkable young lady who has suffered at the hands of bullies, not just girls but boys too.
And why, because Aaron stands out for having beautiful 4ft 4in length hair.
Aaron has kindly agreed to talk to me about being Scotland's Real Life Rapunzel.
As a result of being bullied Aaron is now homeschooled.
Bullying happens for many reasons, in Aaron's case its because of her hair so this blog is to raise awareness on the subject of bullying.

Here is here own story... (And her mother Suzanne's story too)

PRETTY Aaron Fernando reckons she could be Scotland's very own Rapunzel with her lustrous dark locks measuring in at a very impressive 4ft 4ins.
She not only sits on it but it comes down to her CALVES.
Now 15-year-old Aaron, of Ardrossan, Ayrshire, is wondering if indeed she holds the Scottish record for having the longest hair in the land. 
Mum Suzanne, 43, and big sister Jordan, 18 - who both boast waist length hair - think Aaron's hair may well take the lead.
Suzanne said: "I was reading an article last week about a girl in Wales with hair measuring 3ft 6ins which was thought to be the longest hair in Wales. I had never measured Aaron's hair before but I knew her's was longer. So we got out the measuring tape and were amazed to see it was 4ft 4ins long."
Aaron who is 5ft 4ins tall laughed: "I'm only 12 inches taller than my hair. I love having long hair and I've got no plans to have it cut. We've all got long hair in our family, even my dad..
"It can be a pest but the good points outweigh the bad. I usually have it tied back in a plait, because if it was left loose in a wind, it whips around like crazy not just lashing my face but anyone standing near me and that can be pretty painful.
"But my hair's not tuggy, I brush it from the bottom up twice a day.
"I also wash it twice a week which takes about an hour each time using shampoo and conditioner, and once a month I give it an Aussie Miracle hair mask. I also massage the ends with Argan oil and Green teabags."
But Aaron insists she's not a slave to her hair and doesn't spend a fortune on products to keep it in tip top condition.
She smiled: "What wee girl doesn't love the fairy tale Rapunzel? I remember my mum reading it to me saying "Rapunzel Rapunzel let down your hair..."never thinking that one day I might be Scotland's answer to Rapunzel."
But as well as admiring glances, she's also faced bullies and bitchy comments because she chooses to be different.
Mum Suzanne said: "Aaron is home-schooled by qualified tutors because at school - both primary and secondary - she was bullied rotten. It became very nasty and I could see my wee girl getting more and more miserable, her self confidence ebbing away, and I couldn't sit back and do nothing.
"Of course the bullying was reported to the schools, both Kilbirnie Primary and St Matthew's Academy in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, but it wasn't getting any better, so we chose to have her schooled at home by qualified tutors, and she has blossomed. It wasn't just girls who were giving her a hard time, but boys too and it was getting nastier and nastier.
"It was jealousy and the fact that her long hair singled her out, but she never once thought of chopping it off."
Aaron nodded: "No I'd never cut my hair in fact I'd love to be a hair model. I'd let the stylists do anything they wanted to it - except cut it.
"I don't go to the hairdresser. The only person who is allowed to cut my hair is my mum and she trims it about every six weeks."
Her crowning glory can be an expensive commodity with the family going through vacuum
cleaners at an alarming rate.
Suzanne said: "Well it's not just Aaron's hair. We've all got long hair including my husband Kes. He's from Portugal and works as a computer analyst and while my hair and Jordan's doesn't grow beyond waist length, Kes and Aaron's hair grows so quickly.
"It clogs up the vacuum cleaner and we have to buy a new one every six months. In the shower the drains are cleaned every day. We've also got two dogs, a Labrador and a Patterdale terrier as well as two gerbils, so we're quite a hairy family." 
Aaron said: "Having hair as long as mine doesn't hold me back in any way. I love hanging out with my friends, we go shopping and play games. I love horse riding, I play the guitar, I do archery, go to the gym and love music.
"When I go swimming I just tie my hair up. I am really very busy and of-course I see people looking at my hair, but most are really nice.
"I'm a pescatarian, which means I only eat fish - not meat - and of-course the fish oil is very good for hair, nails and skin
"But I eat a lot of veg and take supplements so my body gets all the nutrients it needs. This is just the way I've been brought up. We live healthily and we're all very active so I think that's the reason we all have such good shiny hair.
"It feels strange to think that my hair is seen as anything other than normal, because that's what it is to me.
"But just like Rapunzel I love to let down my hair."