Who is Mama Cax? The amputee model honoured in today's Google Doodle

As part of Black History Month, Google is honouring Haitian-American model and disability rights advocate Mama Cax in their latest Google Doodle.

The stunning visual can be seen on Google's homepage on Wednesday (8 February), which marked the day Mama Cax made her New York Fashion Week runway debut in 2019.

"The artwork highlights the many facets of her identity including her Haitian heritage, her NYC hometown, and her fashion career with her prosthetic incorporated into the look," the search giant said.

At age 14, Mama Cax (whose birth name was Cacsmy Brutus) was diagnosed with bone and lung cancer.

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As a result, she underwent an unsuccessful hip replacement surgery at the age of 16 which led to the amputation of her right leg. Initially, Mama Cax struggled to accept herself with a prosthetic leg as she wanted it to look realistic.

Following the surgery, the model told MSNBC that she "literally just broke down" and suffered from depression.

"I think at that point I refused to look at my body for a good couple of weeks," she said. "She would cover her amputated leg and prosthetic leg in long trousers or dresses for years."

"I was ashamed of how I looked," she explained. "I didn’t want anyone to know I had a prosthetic leg because eventually the question of, ‘What happened?’ would come out. Imagine if every encounter would be recounting my story, every single day, multiple times a day."

Mama Cax's confidence grew when she hit college where she started sporting shorter dresses and embracing her prosthetic leg.

She went on to model for several brands including Tommy Hilfiger, ASOS, Olay, and Savage x Fenty.

In December 2019, Mama Cax sadly passed away after being admitted to the hospital with severe abdominal pains and blood clots in the lung.

At the time of Mama Cax's death, her family released a statement that read: "To say that Cax was a fighter would be an understatement. 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."

Following her passing, Rihanna paid tribute to Mama Cax and tweeted: "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."

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