Celebrity Model and Inclusion Activist Mama Cax Has Passed Away at 30 "To say that Cax was a fighter would be an understatement." By Alyssa Hardy Alyssa Hardy Instagram Twitter Alyssa Hardy is a fashion and culture writer living in New York City. She was formerly the Fashion News Editor at Teen Vogue and the Senior News Editor at InStyle. She recently launched a newsletter titled "This Stuff," which publishes twice weekly. In each edition, readers find timely commentary on news stories and current events in fashion, along with personal essays and musings on trends and celebrity style, featuring personal anecdotes from Alyssa's life as a fashion insider.Alyssa is a staunch advocate for garment workers' rights, and has a deep passion for educating others about fashion's environmental impact — tones that can be felt throughout 'This Stuff.' Her work has been featured in InStyle, Vogue, NYLON, Refinery29, TeenVogue, Ladygunn, Fashionista, and Allure. She is currently working on her debut book, a non-fiction exploration of ethics in fashion titled 'Worn Out.' InStyle's editorial guidelines Published on December 20, 2019 @ 01:47PM Pin Share Tweet Email Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images Model and activist Cacsmy Brutus, better known as Mama Cax, has died. She was 30 years old. On Dec. 20, the model's family posted a message to fans on her Instagram page confirming the news. According to the post, Mama Cax spent the last week in the hospital and passed away on Dec. 16. They continuted with a heartfelt message about their loved one writing, "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 the same grit (fervor) that she fought her last days on earth." Mama Cax was diagnosed with bone cancer at an early age which resulted in the amuptation of her right leg and pelvis bone. In an interview with InStyle in 2018, she explained why she chose to tell her story and become an activist for inclusion in the fashion space. "The only way to cope [was to] start living the life that would make me comfortable, that I always dreamt of," she explained. "Not everyone comes in the same size or the same skin tone and we all deserve to be embraced for how we look." After Losing Her Leg to Cancer, This Woman Completely Reinvented Her Life In the last few years, Mama Cax became a staple in the fashion world, hitting the runway for both Chromat and Rihanna's Savage X Fenty show. On Instagram, Rihanna posted a message about the model's passing. "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. Mama Cax's work to make fashion more inclusive and adaptive space is a legacy that will live on for many years to come.