Once turned down by talent agencies, the boy with a hard disease changes 'the face of beauty'

When Meagan Nash responded to an open casting call for a children's clothing store, she was sure her son would meet the criteria.

But he was turned down. Confused, Meagan enquired from the casting agent, who said that the organizers 'assumed the [clothing] company didn't want a child with special needs.'

As reported by Parenting Isn't Easy, her then 18-month-old son, Asher Nash, has Down Syndrome. Meagan didn't want to leave it there. She took to social media.

On October 6, 2016, she shared Asher's photos with a Facebook page titled Changing the Face of Beauty. In the caption, the determined mother said that they 'aren't giving up.'

Meagan added that they would love to model for OshKosh B'gosh, an American children's apparel company. The page tagged the clothing company, and Asher's photo soon went viral.

According to ABC7, the clothing company met with Asher and announced that he would be joining their holiday advertising campaign.

The company released a statement saying they enjoyed 'spending time with Asher and his family.' They also appreciate that Meagan had 'passion for greater inclusiveness of children with special needs.'

'I feel accomplished. I feel like I set out to tell Asher’s story, to be heard, for him to be heard. And that is exactly what happened, we were heard. Our message was delivered.'

Meagan Richter Nash, ABC7, November 1, 2016.

In an interview with Fox 6 Now, Meagan told readers that there are three reasons for including people with special needs in advertisements. The first reason for inclusion.

She explained that children with special needs 'want to be included among their peers.' The second reason is acceptance. Without acceptance, inclusion into society is just a dream.

Thirdly, respect for people with disabilities is vital if they are going to be included and accepted in society. Advertisements 'shows the world that these people have value and worth', she added.