Trailblazing model and campaigner Mama Cax dies, aged 30

Pioneering model and disability rights champion Mama Cax has died at the age of 30, her family have announced.

The Haitian-American, who lost her right leg to lung and bone cancer as a teenager, died on Monday after being taken ill on a trip to London.

She had posted on Instagram in recent weeks of her struggle with new health problems.

Pop star Rihanna was among those to pay tribute to the campaigner, who she hailed as a “queen, a force” and “a powerhouse beauty”.

“Rest in power sis”, the singer wrote on Twitter.

In an Instagram post, her family said it was with “deep regret and immense sadness” they announced Cax, whose real name was Cacsmy Brutus, had died.

“To say that Cax was a fighter would be an understatement,” the post said.

“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.”

Cax had modelled for some of the biggest names in fashion, including Tommy Hilfiger and ASOS and was the cover star for September’s issue of Teen Vogue.

She had also taken to the catwalks of both New York fashion weeks this year.

She often decorated her prosthetic leg in colourful designs in a bid to celebrate her disability rather than hide it.