Baby mocked for having white hair – years later, he looks perfectly happy and healthy.

Many people enjoy taking photos of their newborns and sharing them with friends and family. Patricia Williams was no exception. She captured precious moments of her son with great love and care. However, her attempt to share these adorable pictures led to an unexpected and unfortunate surprise.

Read on to learn more…

In 2012, Patricia gave birth to her son, Redd. From birth, Redd had white hair, which caught everyone’s attention. But it wasn’t until he was around two months old that Patricia started noticing something unusual about him. Redd’s eyes moved from side to side in a way that didn’t seem normal. Curious and concerned, her husband Dale decided to do some research online. What they discovered shocked them. These eye movements were a common symptom of albinism, a condition that neither Patricia nor Dale had heard of before. Initially, Patricia was skeptical about the possibility, but as they dug deeper, they realized Redd displayed all the signs of albinism—pale skin, white hair, and eyes that moved in a tracking motion.

 

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Bài viết do Patricia Williams (@snagdip) chia sẻ

To confirm their suspicions, they sought professional help from an optometrist and genetic specialists. After several tests, it was officially diagnosed that Redd had Oculocutaneous Albinism Type One (OCA1), a rare genetic condition that affects approximately 1 in 17,000 people globally.

Patricia recalled how the hospital staff were thrilled when Redd was born. Everyone was eager to see the baby with white hair and striking blue eyes. At the time, she didn’t think much of it. After all, she, her husband Dale, and their eldest son Gage all had blonde hair, so a baby with light features didn’t seem too out of the ordinary. But when Redd’s hair began to shine almost blindingly white in the sunlight, Patricia began to suspect that something was different about him. Even though she tried covering his eyes from the bright light, Redd would still track objects with those unique blue eyes that sometimes appeared red in certain lighting.

 

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Bài viết do Patricia Williams (@snagdip) chia sẻ

Initially, Patricia believed that Redd would outgrow his distinct traits. But when her second son, Rockwell, was born in 2018 with the same white hair and blue eyes, it became clear that albinism was a permanent part of their family’s life.

Unfortunately, people on social media did not respond kindly to Rockwell’s newborn photos. His images were taken and turned into cruel memes, adding to the challenges the family was already facing. Redd himself had been bullied at school because of his appearance, but his older brother Gage stepped in to protect him. When Rockwell’s pictures were turned into a meme, Patricia and Dale were devastated. They initially tried to have the images taken down but soon realized the futility of that effort. Instead, they decided to rise above the situation and ignore the negativity.

 

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Bài viết do Patricia Williams (@snagdip) chia sẻ

Despite the difficult journey, Patricia and Dale chose to become advocates for albinism awareness. They didn’t want other children with albinism to experience the same cruelty and bullying that their sons had faced. Patricia admitted that she had concerns about how Redd and Rockwell would be treated because of their differences. Simple activities like going outside required extra precautions—Redd needed a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen to prevent sunburn, and his vision issues meant that he might be legally blind.

However, life began to change for the better. Redd underwent eye surgery to correct his strabismus, and as a result, he transitioned from a private school for the blind to a regular public school. The surgery was a major success, significantly improving his condition and allowing him to lead a more typical life. While Redd needed extra care when playing outdoors, he was otherwise just like any other child.

In April 2023, Patricia shared a video of Rockwell during his school’s “Western Day.” This time, the reaction from social media was overwhelmingly positive. People flooded the comments with love, calling him “adorable” and “cute.” It was a stark contrast to the harsh memes from before. Patricia also took the opportunity to correct a common misconception about albinism—many people assume those with the condition have red eyes, but in reality, their eyes are a light blue due to a lack of pigment.

Patricia and her family’s journey with albinism continues to raise awareness and spread understanding about this rare condition.

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