Meet the law student model who overcame a life-changing disease at just 15

Doing your degree is difficult. Doing your degree after you’ve woken up and been told you might never walk again is impossible. Unless you’re called Katie Knowles.

24-year-old Law final year Katie was diagnosed with Disc Degenerative Disease when she was just 15 years old. She was set to face all of her adult life with out the full use of her legs but now walks with crutches.

“It’s been a nightmare. My GCSE’S were buggered up massively with hospital visits so I had to resit my A levels, and then take a year out. Eventually I got to start a part time course at Northumbria and I was so relieved.

“My disability does obviously make things a bit more difficult. I didn’t get the grades I should have as I missed so much school with hospital, surgery and recovery.”

Katie was faced with the huge decision of dedicating her life to her health and well being, all while struggling with her ambitions for her own life.

“I was diagnosed when I was 15, meaning I didn’t have any one to talk to about what happening as the disease is associated with older people. A lot of people told me to leave education and just focus on my health.

“Doctors weren’t expecting much movement or motivation from me but that’s me in a nutshell – I’m not going to let my disease or Hypermobility define who I am.”

Katie was still determined to live her life to the full the same way those around her were. She found love and support through working with Models of Diversity, proving she was more than what her illness limited her to.

“I first started modelling when I met a fellow disabled girl who modelled and she told me about Models of Diversity. I didn’t even know there was a market for people like me to model so I was blown away by their support.

“It’s so important to promote diversity and modelling helps me celebrate all I can do.

“I’ve walked on the runway for the Ideal Home Show and I’ve done photo shoots for Weight Watchers magazine all thanks to Models of Diversity.”

Katie has big plans for her future and won’t let her health hold her back. Her message is clear – dream big. She’ll be graduating later this year despite anything life throws at her.

“I miss so much university time as I’m on morphine twenty four hours a day. When it comes to 6pm for a lecture I’m knackered.

“Law will always be my dream career but modelling is of equal importance. I would love to set up a support group for people with disabilities, especially ones that affect the spine and movement like mine does, because it’s difficult to go through and you don’t think about it until it happens to you.

“I want people to know how important it is to fight. I stuck at it, I don’t give up on things.”