Mother of model who has Down’s syndrome hopes one day they won’t get ‘weird stares’

The mother of a toddler with Down’s Syndrome hopes her daughter’s modelling campaign can contribute to creating a ‘more inclusive world’, where she doesn’t get ‘weird stares’ in public. 

Eleanor Manton, two, has become the face of latest seasonal campaign for upmarket childrenswear brand JoJo Maman Bébé – after the chain’s talent scouts spotted the tot’s modelling potential online.

Proud mum Helen Manton, 36, from Leamington Spa, appeared on Good Morning Britain today, where she told that children with Down’s syndrome should be included in ‘every walk of life’ and hopes her campaign will ‘raise awareness’. 

Viewers were moved by Eleanor’s story, hailing the young model a ‘star’ and calling the toddler a ‘little beauty’. 

‘I want Eleanor to believe she can do anything she’s set her mind to,’ said Helen, ‘and others to see children like Eleanor should be included in every walk of life. 

‘The more you see children and adults like Eleanor on modelling campaigns, the more awareness it brings to everyone. 

‘So when we go to the park we don’t get the weird stares one day. We ‘d love for that to happen, for that to be more inclusive in the world.’ 

Viewers quickly took to Twitter to praise Eleanor, with one writing: ‘Eleanor, just a wee beauty, little star’. 

‘How cuuute is Eleanor’, said another. 

Mother-of-one Helen transformed her personal account @the_mantons, into a feel-good positivity account showing the family’s Down’s syndrome journey. 

Helen told she got the modelling email out of the blue in June after store scouts spotted the family’s Instagram account.

‘We run a really active Instagram page to raise awareness and earlier on in the summer JoJo emailed me asking to take part. 

‘It started off as my personal Instagram page and when Elena was born, it changed into an awareness page and I couldn’t believe it.’  

Helen and Craig discovered Eleanor had Down’s syndrome 45 minutes after her birth, and admitted that while it ‘took a while to get their head around’ her condition, once they ‘got to know’ their daughter, they began to ‘forget about it’. 

‘We found out about 45 minutes after she was born,’ said Helen. ‘We were completely shocked. We weren’t told in the worst way, but we weren’t told in a good way. 

‘The doctors made us feel very upset, like we had a really long haul ahead of us and it was going to be a very difficult one, and it wasn’t the worst in the world, but it wasn’t a good diagnosis.’ 

Craig added: ‘It took a little while, it was more the technical talk they used to say to us. But once we met Eleanor, it was a little bit to get your head around. Once we started to get to know Eleanor and start to spend time you start to forget about it.’ 

The fashion shoot had to take place in a home setting due to the covid pandemic, with Eleanor photographed in her grandparents’ back garden while Helen captured the snaps on her iPhone 11 Pro.

Dad Craig, 40, also got in on the act as ‘chief smile co-ordinator’ by performing silly dances in the background to help keep the cheeky grins coming. 

Helen told: ‘I get Craig to make her smile, he does silly moves in the background and he’s her favourite person in the world so she really does react.’