By: Dylan Kemp
Mama Cax, whose real name is Cacsmy Brutus, died this week on Dec 16 after spending a week in the hospital. The Haitian American model, activist, and cancer survivor was 30 years old.
At the age of 14, she was diagnosed with bone and lung cancer. After she was treated, she received a hip replacement, but was rejected by her body and doctors were forced to take further action. A hemipelvectomy amputation left her needing to use a prosthetic leg and crutches. Instead of letting her disability dictate her life, she decided to use her platform as a model to show the world that women with disabilities should be equally represented.
“It’s not only looking out for myself, but looking out for my community and making sure that whatever doors I open stay open,” Cax told Glamour in August.
Earlier this year, Cax took the stage for Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty line. Upon hearing of the loss of Cax, Rihanna took to Instagram to give her 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,” she wrote in a Tweet.
A few days before her passing, on Dec. 12, Cax posted a photo of flowers to her Instagram account and shared with her followers a bit about what she was going through with her health. She had experienced “severe abdominal pain” and was rushed into the emergency room before it was dismissed as inflammation. The next morning doctors discovered she had blood clots in her leg, thigh and abdomen and a filter near her lungs, which was meant to prevent clots from entering.
