She may be only 21 years old, but Ellie Goldstein has already accomplished many extraordinary things in her life.
A true trailblazer, she made history in 2020 by becoming the first model with Down’s syndrome (or Down syndrome) to feature in an advert for a high-end fashion brand – a powerful partnership with Gucci – and has gone on to grace the cover of seven magazines, including UK Vogue.
But one of the Essex-born star’s favourite achievements came when she was a few hours old.
In December 2001, a doctor advised Ellie’s parents Yvonne and Mark not to feed their newborn daughter as they didn’t know if she would be able to take a bottle.
However, when they did try it, their baby girl latched on with no problem at all.
It was the first of many times that her incredible fight and determination shone through – and is one of the anecdotes recounted in her inspirational new autobiography Against All Odds.
“My best story is me putting my gums on my bottle and not letting go,” she tells HELLO! with a smile in this exclusive interview.
Laughing, her proud mum Yvonne adds: “She knew what she wanted,” to which Ellie quickly replies: “Yeah – milk!”
The model’s effervescent spirit leaps off the page in her memoir, which, she says, is “full of funny, cheeky, happy stories”.
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