Franklin woman raises awareness through pageants

The Franklin woman never let a disability or cancer stop her.

Mickey Deputy, a 24-year-old cancer survivor with Down syndrome, is on a mission to promote the equal treatment of people with disabilities, a mission that has been near and dear to her heart since 2013.

That year, she competed for the first time in a Miss Amazing pageant.

The national pageant for girls and women with disabilities aims to break down widely-held myths about the capabilities of people with disabilities, according to the pageant’s website. The pageant — and Deputy — strive to create a world where women with disabilities are encouraged to consider their goals, challenge themselves and take pride in their identities.

Deputy has qualified for the national Miss Amazing competition three times, in 2013, 2015 and this year. In 2013, she won the state competition and was first runner up in the national competition. In 2015, she won the state title but didn’t place at nationals, said Jenny Deputy, Mickey’s mother.

Mickey Deputy also competed in local Miss America pageants across the state for four years, between 2016 and 2019. During that time, she was the first woman with Down syndrome to compete in the Miss America pageant circuit in Indiana, Jenny Deputy said.

For Mickey Deputy, participating in the pageants is a calling by God to use her voice to raise awareness about the capabilities of people with disabilities and share her faith along the way, she said.

Mickey Deputy’s quest for acceptance is best described in her passion presentation for this year’s Miss Amazing contest. A passion presentation is a monologue about how the world sees a contestant versus how they see themselves.

“The world calls me a victim because I had leukemia. But I say I’m a survivor because I fought hard in the battle and won. The world wants to call me worthless because I don’t look, talk and act like everybody else …

“The world calls me a mistake because my chromosomes are not like everyone else’s. But I know I am complete and artfully made by the father and the one true king. The world calls me disabled because my abilities are different than yours. But they don’t know my special ability is to bring light, joy and happiness to the world. The world tells me to stop trying because it is impossible for me to ever win. But when has the impossible ever stopped me?”

Mickey Deputy delivers her monologue during the Miss Amazing Indiana pageant earlier this year. The pageant was hybrid, with part of the pageant taking place virtually and in-person. SUBMITTED
Mickey Deputy delivers her monologue during the Miss Amazing Indiana pageant earlier this year. The pageant was hybrid, with part of the pageant taking place virtually and in-person. SUBMITTED

This year’s national Miss Amazing pageant is set to kick off July 31, and the winner will be announced Aug. 2. Mickey Deputy and her family will travel to Nashville, Tennessee for the competition.

When she’s not competing in pageants, she works as a hostess at Big Woods. During the school year, she also works as a preschool and band assistant at Franklin Community Schools.

Mickey Deputy has found her niche and a mostly supportive community in Franklin, Jenny Deputy said.

Life is not without its trials, though.

Last month, a male customer said he wanted to be seated by a “real hostess.”

It is that perception that Mickey Deputy wants to break down. Instead of assuming people with disabilities are less than, she encourages people to befriend and get to know them before passing judgement.

“You should love everybody the same,” she said.

Normalizing Down syndrome might be a long journey, but Mickey Deputy is determined to break down stereotypes in the pageant and beyond. She fights because everyone, regardless of their abilities, are best judged by their character, not their appearance.

“Beauty is not from the outward, it is from the heart. When you have a beautiful heart, you can do amazing things,” she said.