Model and Activist Mama Cax Has Died at Age 30

Leah Prinzivalli

Mama Cax, model and activist, has passed away. She was 30 years old.

The model's family announced her passing on December 20, after Cax had spent a weeklong stay in the hospital. "To say that Cax was a fighter would be an understatement," the family wrote. "As a cancer survivor, she had grown accustomed to taking on life's several challenges head on and successfully. It is with the same grit (fervor) that she fought her last days on earth."

Over the past week, Cax had detailed her health struggles via social media. On December 13, she posted about "severe abdominal pain" and shared that she had "several blood clots in her leg, thigh, and abdomen."

In 2016, Cax worked with Allure to create a video about working as a model with an amputated leg, which she lost to bone cancer at age 15. "If I had a do-over, I definitely wouldn't change being diagnosed with cancer or even having my amputation," she said at the time. "Cause I know the person I am today is a combination of all those experiences."

More recently, Cax drew praise for walking in the Savage x Fenty fashion show. Rihanna, and other fashion icons and friends, have expressed their condolences. "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 tweeted. Model Iskra Lawrence wrote: “there’s no words to express how grateful I am for your existence and that the world has been graced with your positivity, wisdom and love. It’s been an honour my love to get to know you and I will always cherish the memories and until we meet again one day – thank you, thank you for being you love you.”

Mama Cax's legacy will be remembered, and we share her hope for the future of our industry, which she expressed to Dazed Digital. "I’m hoping the future of beauty is more than the surface. It’s inclusive, it’s diverse, it’s a true representation of people from different walks of life. I want people to see beauty as more than just what you see on the surface."

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Revisit our 2016 video with Mama Cax:

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Originally Appeared on Allure