By Hannah Van De Peer
A little boy who lost his foot at 18 months has become a model and now he travels the world posing for famous brands including Primark, Amazon and Schuh.
Arlo Tate, nine, was diagnosed with fibular hemimelia – a missing fibula – at birth.
An “abnormality” was picked up at his 20-week scan – but doctors were unsure what his condition was at the time.
His right foot was bent inwards so doctors suggested his parents allow them amputate his foot so he could learn to walk with a prosthetic leg.
Mum Naomi, 38, says walking with prosthesis was incredibly easy and Arlo hasn’t let his disability hold him back.
Naomi says his friends weren’t aware Arlo even had a disability – as he plays football, basketball and rugby with them.
In March 2020, Arlo was scouted by a diverse modelling agency who wanted to sign him up and he has since travelled to Prague, London and Manchester – being paid £500 a shoot for brands like Primark, Amazon and Schuh.
Naomi, a property investment consultant, from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, said: “Arlo has beaten the odds to become a model before he’s even turned 10.
“I thought it was a scam at first – but it’s amazing to see him modelling for all these top brands.
“He gets looked after really well – every job he goes on, it’s all very luxurious.
“We get to take him to toy shops and let him have his pick to spend his wages – and he makes £500 per shoot.
“It doesn’t faze him at all that he’s earning all this money – he just loves sightseeing and making new friends.”
Naomi was told at her 20-week scan that her son would be born with an “abnormality” – despite having a “normal” pregnancy beforehand.
But doctors weren’t exactly sure what the abnormality would be – and his missing fibula was discovered at birth.
Due to his missing fibula and abnormal tibia – which was bent sideways – Arlo’s right foot curled inwards and he only had three toes.
Naomi said: “It was significantly shorter than his left leg. It would’ve grown, just at a really slow pace.
“I went straight on Facebook to look for other mums going through the same thing, it did make me feel less alone.”
While speaking to the other mums, Naomi began to weigh up her options.
She heard she’d be able to get leg lengthening surgery for Arlo – which is usually an option for patients with a shortened fibula.
But doctors told her it wouldn’t be possible – as they’d be unable to extend or replace bones that weren’t there to begin with.
After 18 months of research, Naomi and Arlo’s care team decided amputation would be the best route.
She said: “We decided the best way would be to amputate his right foot.
“At the beginning, I was really nervous.
“But in the three months before surgery, doctors fitted Arlo with a prosthetic leg, which had a set of five little toes.
“He absolutely loved it. It gave him the flexibility of being able to walk – and he could even put a shoe on it.
“I knew amputation would be the best decision – he wouldn’t know any different and could learn to walk with the prosthetic.
“Ultimately, I had to think about it like – his foot is useless to him, and a prosthetic would give him a lifetime of mobility.
“They’re just replacing something that isn’t useful to him with something that is.”
On July 6, 2016, aged one, Arlo had his right foot amputated and continued learning to walk with his prosthetics.
Naomi says he didn’t have any difficulty at all and got stuck in with as many sports and running clubs as possible as he got older.
In March 2020, Naomi and Arlo decided to spend lockdown making prank videos on TikTok.
The account received a message from a talent scout for a modelling agency – which Naomi initially thought was a scam.
But when the main verified account sent her a message later on, she realised it was real.
“The agency contacted me on TikTok,” Naomi said.
“I thought it was a bit of a joke, but they said they wanted to sign Arlo up.
“We chatted on the phone – then I said to Arlo ‘you’ve got a contract to work – you’re going to start earning your own money.’
“He wasn’t fazed at all.”
Within four months, Arlo jetted straight to Prague, Czech Republic, to shoot his first campaign.
The shoot was for Amazon – which was due to go live in North America, South Africa and China. He was paid £500.
It lasted four days and Naomi says it was set up like a “movie studio”.
She added: “His first job was a really big one – there was movie equipment all set up.
“We had a chauffeur pick us up from the airport, and they held his name up on a card at the gate.
“We really got looked after in luxury.”
Arlo says he’s been really enjoying his new side hustle and loves the adventure and luxury that come with it.
Arlo said: “It’s really fun – I like to travel around.
“My favourite things to do are sightseeing and making new friends.”
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