A few years ago, Katya Filatova—a Moscow-based photographer—and her husband adopted a little daughter named Lisa, who has Down syndrome. However, some of the responses Filatova got on the streets were more than uncalled for. “Many people think that children with Down syndrome are ugly and are unable to show their emotions,” she said in an interview with Bored Panda. As a creative soul, the mother was then committed to changing the narrative and proving how everyone is beautiful, regardless of their challenges and characteristics.
Capturing her adorable daughter Lisa in handmade costumes and flower crowns, Filatova seeks to create fairy tales in each picture. “By changing societal views about people with disabilities through pictures, we can change real life,” she added.
Actively posting on Instagram, Filatova currently aims to build her page as a channel of discovery where others “learn that children with special needs are ordinary children who know how to play, be happy, be sad and to love.” I mean, just look at these 20 pictures Filatova has captured of the little munchkin. Caution: brace yourself for some baby fever!