INDIANAPOLIS -- Mickey Deputy was born with three holes in her heart, the largest the size of a dime.
At 7 she was diagnosed with leukemia, but — amazingly — 3,000 pills, four bone marrow aspirations, 20 spinal taps, multiple blood transfusions and 26 months later, she beat it.
Fast forward 11 years, and life is pretty good for the 18-year-old from Franklin.
She's more active than most: Choir, school plays and Junior Colts cheerleading are just a few of her activities.
In 2013 she ran a half-marathon and raised $100,000 to fund a pediatric blood cancer research grant.
She competed in and won the teen division in the 2015 Indiana Miss Amazing program, a pageant for girls and women with disabilities.
Now, she has her eyes set on a new crown.
From finding the perfect dress to posing and stage practice, IndyStar will follow Mickey for a three-part series as she prepares to compete in the Miss Hoosier Heartland pageant March 6.
"It's about time a girl with Down syndrome wins," she said.
Choosing a pageant platform is about finding a cause you are passionate about — and Mickey’s passion is inclusion.
“It’s not about what’s on the outside,” she says. “It’s about what’s inside.”
Recently, Mickey competed in and won the 2015 Indian Miss Amazing Pageant, Junior Teen division.
She’s extremely proud of the tiara and sash she received and wears it a lot.
During the Junior Colts cheerleading year-end party, she placed the tiara and sash on a fellow special needs cheerleader.
“Here you go,” she said. “You can be a princess too.”
Inclusion. Therefore, Mickey chose the Miss Amazing Pageant as her platform.
She hopes every girl or woman with a disability can someday wear a tiara and sash.
Read the rest of Mickey's journey on IndyStar:
