From the SFLA Blog

This Victoria’s Secret Model Is Reminding Us That All Lives Are Beautiful

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Caroline Wharton - 16 Aug 2022

In a world which promotes aborting children with fetal abnormalities and devalues those with disabilities, it is a beautiful thing to see those same children who were given life grow and succeed — and that is the story of Sofía Jirau, the first Victoria’s Secret model with Down Syndrome. The 25-year-old woman made history this year by becoming the first model with her condition to work with the popular intimates brand, and her life is a testament to the wrongfulness of the abortion lobby’s claim that children with abnormalities should be terminated. Let’s discuss Jirau’s life and what it means for the pro-life movement:  

In an interview with Fox News, Jirau relayed that she had wanted to be a model since she was a little girl and always spoke out about her big dreams. As a child, she loved trying on her mother’s high heels and walking in them as though she were a supermodel.  

Sofía Jirau

In 2019, that dream came true for her as she began modeling in Puerto Rico. In 2020, she was featured in New York Fashion Week and since then has gone on to even bigger and brighter things in the modeling world — such as Victoria’s Secret. Earlier this year, Jirau announced that she had joined Victoria’s Secret as a part of a new campaign called the Love Cloud Collection.  

She spoke out about her historical role being the first Down Syndrome Victoria’s Secret model and of being more than just a supermodel — she’s also an entrepreneur with her own line of merchandise called Alavett, a word which is based off the way she spells “I love it.”  

Jirau stated how grateful she is for these opportunities and that they didn’t come without some elbow grease. However, she also believes anyone with Down Syndrome can likewise achieve success, saying:  

Sofía Jirau

“I am an entrepreneur. And I love it! I will tell everyone to follow their passion. Practice a lot and don’t ever quit. If you have the moves, the attitude and confidence, you can achieve it. 

“For me, it’s really important to inspire others. And it’s a privilege that I have… I work hard to make my dream come true…I will say to every person in my community who has Down Syndrome, you can find a job.  

“You can dream big. There are no limits. The key is to get out of bed, put the phone aside and work hard. I [never] felt discouraged as a model because everything can be accomplished. We need to put our fears aside and just do it. Everything is possible even if people tell you no.” 

Stories like Jirau’s are important to highlight as our society condones aborting children with fetal abnormalities such as hers, making weak excuses such as, “Their quality of life will not be worth living.” Due to this rampant and eugenic myth, many parents decide to abort their children with Down Syndrome. 

In the United States, it was found that almost 70% of American parents abort their children after prenatal testing comes back positive for a Down Syndrome diagnosis, and in countries like Denmark, this number is even higher at 95%. (And the New York Times recently showed that 85% of positive results on common prenatal tests are wrong.)  

Jirau is a poignant reminder that it is never our place to decide what someone else’s life is worth.  She is one of the children that so many parents choose to abort — yet look where she is now: happy, successful, and thriving. Who are we to say that her life and the lives of others with abnormalities are not worth living?  

We wish Jirau many congratulations on her success, and we’re grateful for the important reminder that all life is beautiful and valuable — no matter how you were conceived, how big or small you are, or the uniqueness of your genetic makeup.  

READ NEXT: Safe Haven Laws 101: Answering Your Top Questions 

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