Model, activist and cancer survivor Mama Cax has died.
The 30-year-old model passed away in London on December 16, according to The Cut. The sad news was announced on her Instagram page on Friday.
“To say that Cax was a fighter would be an understatement,” the post read. “As a cancer survivor, she had grown accustomed to taking on life’s several challenges head on and successfully. It is with that same grit (fervor) that she fought her last days on earth.”
The post, written by Cax’s family, asked for privacy and promised to share funeral details once they were finalized. The statement also revealed she had spent a week in the hospital prior to her death.
In early December, the model confessed she had been dealing with blood clots in her abdomen, leg and around a medical filter implanted near her lungs, per Refinery 29.
Cax, born Cacsmy Brutus, was a trailblazer in the fashion industry thanks to her fervent advocacy for disabled people and diverse forms of beauty in the fashion industry. She lost her leg when she was 14 years old after a battle with bone and lung cancer.
Cax talked about the importance of representation for her Teen Vogue cover story in September 2018.
“When I first started blogging, a lot of women amputees were messaging me about how they'd never seen someone an amputee on social media or anywhere showing their prosthetics,” she told the magazine.
“I think it's so important to show people who have physical disabilities because there are people out there who have physical disabilities who buy products and who never see themselves represented in any way, shape, or form.”
Cax modeled for several big names including Tommy Hilfiger, ASOS, Chromat and Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty. The “Work” songstress paid tribute to Cax on her own Instagram page.
"A queen. A force. A powerhouse beauty that brought her strength to the @savagexfenty stage this year inspiring so many across the globe. Rest In Power sis," Rihanna wrote.
A cause of death has not been revealed.
