A nine-year-old boy who lost his foot at 18 months has become a model and now travels the world posing for famous brands.
Arlo Tate, from Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, was diagnosed with fibular hemimelia (a missing fibula) at birth.
His right foot was bent inward, so doctors suggested that his parents allow them to amputate his foot so he could learn to walk with a prosthetic leg.
Arlo’s mother Naomi, 38, says starting to walk with a prosthesis was incredibly easy and Arlo hasn’t let his disability stop him.
In March 2020, Arlo was discovered by a diverse modeling agency who wanted to sign him and has since traveled to Prague, London and Manchester, where he was paid £500 per shoot for brands including Primark, Amazon and Schuh.
Arlo Tate had his leg amputated when he was only 18 months old, but at nine he is already a successful model.
Naomi, a property investment consultant, said: “Arlo has beaten the odds to become a model before even turning 10.
“At first I thought it was a scam, but it’s amazing to see him modeling for all these big brands.
“They take very good care of him; every job he does is very luxurious.”
“We can take him to toy shops and let him choose how to spend his salary, and he earns £500 a session.
“He’s not at all worried about making so much money; he just loves sightseeing and making new friends.”
Naomi says Arlo’s friends didn’t even know Arlo had a disability because he plays soccer, basketball and rugby with them.
At the 20-week scan she was told her child would be born with an “abnormality”, despite having had a “normal” pregnancy beforehand.
But doctors weren’t exactly sure what the anomaly was, and the missing fibula was discovered at birth.
Arlo has traveled to Prague, London and Manchester, where he was paid £500 a shoot for brands including Primark, Amazon and Schuh. Pictured: A recent photoshoot for Primark.
Arlo, from Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, was diagnosed with fibular hemimelia (a missing fibula) at birth (pictured with his mother Naomi)
Due to his missing fibula and abnormal tibia, which was bent to one side, Arlo’s right foot curved inward and only had three toes.
Naomi said: “It was significantly shorter than his left leg.” She would have grown, but at a very slow rate.
“I went straight to Facebook to find other moms who were going through the same thing, it made me feel less alone.”
As she talked to the other moms, Naomi began to weigh her options.
He heard he might undergo leg lengthening surgery for Arlo, which is often an option for patients with a shortened fibula.
But doctors told him it wouldn’t be possible because they couldn’t extend or replace bones that weren’t there to begin with.
After 18 months of research, Naomi and Arlo’s care team decided that amputation would be the best option.
She said: ‘We decided the best way would be to amputate his right foot. At first he was very nervous.
Arlo’s mother, Naomi, says her son loves his prosthetic leg and it allows him to live life to the fullest.
In March 2020, Naomi and Arlo (pictured together) decided to spend lockdown making prank videos on TikTok, and it wasn’t long before they received a message from a talent scout.
“But in the three months before the surgery, doctors fitted Arlo with a prosthetic leg, which had five little fingers.
‘He absolutely loved it. She gave him the flexibility to walk and could even put a shoe on him.
“I knew amputation would be the best decision; he wouldn’t know any different and could learn to walk with the prosthesis.”
“In the end, I had to think about it: his foot is useless to him and a prosthesis would give him mobility for life.”
“They’re just replacing something that’s not useful to you with something that is.”
On July 6, 2016, when he was one year old, Arlo had his right foot amputated and continued learning to walk with his prosthetics.
Naomi says she didn’t have any difficulties and stuck to as many sports and running clubs as possible as she grew up.
In March 2020, Naomi and Arlo decided to spend confinement making prank videos on TikTok, where they post to their account. @naomiandarlo.
Naomi was told at her 20-week scan that her child would be born with an “abnormality”, despite having had a “normal” pregnancy beforehand. Arlo is portrayed as a newborn
Naomi says starting to walk with a prosthesis was incredibly easy and Arlo hasn’t let his disability stop him.
Naomi says that Arlo’s friends didn’t even know Arlo had a disability, as he plays soccer, basketball and rugby with them.
Arlo says he has been really enjoying his new business and loves the adventure and luxury that comes with it.
The account received a message from a talent scout at a modeling agency, which Naomi initially thought was a scam.
But when the main verified account messaged him later, he realized it was real.
“The agency contacted me through TikTok,” Naomi said.
“I thought it was a joke, but they said they wanted to sign Arlo up.
“We chatted on the phone and then I said to Arlo, ‘You have a contract to work; “You’re going to start making your own money.” He wasn’t at all fazed.
After four months, Arlo flew to Prague, Czech Republic, to shoot his first campaign.
The goal of the shoot was to make Amazon available in North America, South Africa and China. He was paid £500.
It lasted four days and Naomi says they set it up like a “movie studio.”
And he added: “His first job was really important: there was all the film equipment ready.
‘We had a driver pick us up at the airport and they showed his name on a card at the boarding gate. “They really treated us with luxury.”
Arlo says he has been really enjoying his new business and loves the adventure and luxury that comes with it.
Arlo said: “It’s a lot of fun, I like to travel.”
“What I like to do most is go sightseeing and make new friends.”