A British woman has shared how she overcame her fears and became a model despite suffering from a debilitating health condition and constant bullying.
Caprice-Kwai Ambersley, from London was diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) when she was just 11 years old, after suffering from a painful knee dislocation that alerted doctors to her condition.
OA is also often referred to as a degenerative joint disease or ‘wear and tear arthritis’ – breaking down cartilage in the hands, hips and knees.
For Caprice-Kwai, the condition has not only affected her day-to-day life but also seen her receive endless trolling – and she also suffers from joint hyper-mobility and chronic pain syndrome.
Despite the challenges she’s faced, the 22-year-old has gone on to strut her stuff at London Fashion Week, as well as model for the likes of Kurt Geiger, ASOS, Dr Martens and more.
“Something so simple changed the course of my life,” the disability advocate and model, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“My knees would become dislocated often that at first, it was a normal way of life for me.
“They would effortlessly pop out of place by being knocked against something or by my body twisting the wrong way.
“I started to do day-to-day activities with caution and eventually grew to hate sports, in fear that I would injure myself.
“But the ‘big’ incident changed it all.
“It was just a small fall but as I hit the floor I felt my kneecap twist all the way to the other side of my leg.
“I was taken to the hospital where I had surgery, and after recovery I was sent home with crutches and bandages from my thigh down to my ankle.”
Caprice-Kwai had to go through several gruelling months of hospital visits, physiotherapy and medical scans before finally receiving her diagnosis.
She said: “Every day is different when you live with osteoarthritis, some days are worse than others.
“For me, one of the most difficult things about becoming disabled, was using a mobility aid.
“On my good days I use my cool crutches but on my bad days, I use a wheelchair.”
Sadly, Caprice-Kwai was also mocked and tormented for her disability too.
She said: “I became disabled just before starting secondary school.
“That transition was hard because back then, disability was seen as taboo and wrong.
“I would often get called names like ‘leggy’ or ‘crippled’.
“I had drinks thrown on me and my crutches taken away by other kids, like it was a game.
“It made me feel worthless, unimportant and angry.”
Caprice-Kwai has undergone various treatments and procedures over the years to help with her condition including surgery to her knee where doctors tried to ‘break’ it to re-adjust the bone.
She’s also had arthroscopy, femoral osteotomy and regular physiotherapy and hydrotherapy.
She said: “The first surgery was very traumatic for me.
“I now have a plate and pins in my leg, holding it in the correct position.
“At the beginning, it was very hard to adjust, as I felt like I was being poked and prodded by consultants and doctors, but later on down the line, it became the new normal for me.
“Staying in hospital and receiving different types of treatment wasn’t always comforting, from such a young age.
“Being in and out of hospital meant I spent more time away from school, which really impacted my bullying experience too.
“But on the other hand, hospital was like a home away from home, funnily enough.
“There were times I actually looked forward to staying in hospital because it was strangely comforting, and I got to meet people my age going through similar things as me.”
As an adult, Caprice-Kwai wants to help educate others and show the world that every body is beautiful.
In 2018, she became a model and she also shares her journey on Instagram.
She said: “Representation matters and I want to be someone I didn’t have growing up.
“I put myself out there on Instagram by taking photos with my mobility aid and by sharing my journey.
“I then came across an agency, applied and they accepted me.
“The rest is history and I now represent myself.
“My mum’s also one of the reasons why I started modelling.
“I hated that I was so underrepresented as a Black disabled woman, so she would always tell me, ‘be the change you want to see’.
“Walking in LFW was an empowering experience because it was one of the first times that I felt like my mobility aid belonged in the fashion industry.
“It wasn’t seen as ugly but [was] included and loved during an amazing show.”
Caprice-Kwai regularly uses crutches from Cool Crutches to get around and says the product has helped her immensely – partly because, as a fashion fan, she can personalise the aid to her taste.
She added: “Sometimes, I felt like my disability had consumed my identity.
“While using the NHS crutches for eight years, I would get blisters, unnecessary hand pain and the look of them would leave me feeling dull.
“I love how I can match my Cool Crutches to my outfits, jewellery, and accessories.
“My ever-growing collection of these aids has positively impacted my life.
“And I can’t believe the difference, physically and mentally.”
As for the future, Caprice-Kwai is working on her own jewellery and accessory business, and also plans to continue being an advocate for disabled Black women.
She added: “There is a huge lack of disabled designers in the industry and I want to change that.
“I love that as an accessory designer, I have the power to change how people feel about themselves.
“I have the power to make people feel empowered.”
