Mickey Deputy was born with Down Syndrome and a heart defect. She was diagnosed with leukemia at age 7, underwent two years of intense treatments, fought back and won.
The 18-year-old is now taking on a new fight — on a stage with a little bit of glamour mixed in.
"My big goal is to compete in Miss Indiana and Miss America because I want to show everybody that Down syndrome means a lot because we're people and not props," Mickey said.
Mickey is on a quest to become the first contestant with Down syndrome to win Miss America.
"Mickey's mantra has always been, 'I want to make a difference in the world,' and that's not something we ever said to her, she came up with it on her own," said Jenny Deputy, Mickey's mother.
Mickey is already a beauty queen.
UPDATE: Mickey is now featured on The TODAY Show!
Jenny said Mickey got started in pageants four years ago when her friend Marissa competed in Miss Indiana and asked Mickey to be her princess.
"That's when the bug kind of bit her and then Marissa found out about Miss Amazing, the pageant for girls with special needs and disabilities and wanted to get Mickey involved in that. The rest is history."
Mickey's won Miss Amazing twice.
"Miss Amazing means building self-confidence and self-esteem," Mickey said.
Now she's competing locally in the Miss America circuit.
This past weekend, she won the Spirit Award in a pageant.
She was especially thrilled about the win because it's an award voted on by the contestants.
But, Mickey is much more than a bright spirit and radiant beauty. This young lady can dance!
"I love to dance because I tell stories and I worship God that way," she said.
Her dancing isn't choreographed. She makes it up as she goes, delivering awe-inspiring experiences for her audiences.
"...it's totally from the heart," Jenny said. "Whatever she feels led to do. A lot of times, she'll listen to a song first and kind of act out some of the lyrics to it, but on a dance like this, it's totally from the heart and it's her form of worship."
Jenny said she's proud to see the impact Mickey is making.
"A lot of things go through my heart, everything from pride and joy to, 'Wow God. Thank you so much for letting me be here mom,' and just watching the people around me to see how she's impacting them and see on their faces that she's touching their hearts in a way that maybe they haven't been touched before," Jenny said.
Beyond the pageant world, Mickey is also a Riley's Kid. She underwent heart surgery at Riley Hospital for Children as a baby and then underwent treatment for leukemia when she was 7.
She now gives back by going to the local Dance Marathons where she's always a hit.
"I don't notice this, but everybody copies my moves when I dance," Mickey said.
"You must have some pretty smooth moves?" Reporter Carrie Cline asked.
"Yes!" exclaimed Mickey.
Mickey also loves to sing and sings in her competition choir at Franklin High School.
She's a young lady who is making a difference in everything she does.
We plan to keep an eye on Mickey's progress and will keep you posted on how she does in her quest for Miss America.
