Inviting friends and relatives to see the gorgeous pictures of their brand-new kids is a popular pastime for parents. Patricia Williams may also say the same thing.
She tenderly took pictures of her son. But she received a nasty surprise when she attempted to show off his photo collection to her pals.
Keep reading to know more…
Redd, Patricia’s son, was born in 2012. Among other things, the infant boy’s mother didn’t discover that he had white hair until he was two months old.
Dale shocked himself by learning that the reason their infant’s eyes were flashing side to side was a common sign of albinism.
Although the boy had signs of albinism, such as an exceptionally light complexion, white hair, and tracking eyes, Patricia was skeptical because she had never heard the term.
For a more accurate diagnosis, the couple then sought the advice of an optometrist and a geneticist.
Redd was determined to have Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1 (OCA1), which affects 1 in 17,000 people worldwide.
Patricia recalls the staff at the hospital’s enthusiastic expectations when Redd was born, given his unique white hair and blue eyes.
She didn’t blink an eye because Patricia, her husband, and their first-born son, Gage, all had blonde hair.
She recalled thinking about Redd’s hair a month after they had brought him home because it was so white that it glistened in the sunlight.
She made an effort to turn away from his sight, but he followed her nonetheless.
In some lights, his eyes were a startling hue of blue that almost seemed crimson.
Patricia was aware that her second kid would have to cope with the same issue when he was born because it was congenital.
In February 2018, Rockwell was born with the same condition as his elder sibling. On social media, offensive jokes were made using photoshopped images of the newborn baby.
Due to his appearance, Redd has often been the victim of taunts and teasing in the schoolyard. His older sibling Gage started to keep an eye out for him as a result.
But Rockwell’s parents were ready for him because they had done a lot of research on albinism before he was born. They weren’t ready for their son’s images to become popular online, though.
Initially, Dale and Patricia attempted to contact each person who had shared the image in order to request that they take it down, but they soon realized that this was an impossibility.
Children who were diagnosed with the disease made the decision to become activists for raising awareness of it in an effort to stop bullying in the future.
Patricia was distraught to learn that Redd had albinism, according to the doctors.
She was worried about the child’s future and the relationship with the family due to the child’s scorching susceptibility and potential legal blindness.
She explained the rumor about Rockwell. She made a remark to the effect that “it’s very unusual to see a baby with white hair, and Rockwell’s hair sticks straight up, so it’s very noticeable.”
As a result of a meme portraying her son becoming viral, she gained a sizable following base. As time passed, she answered questions about her son’s looks and came to understand that many people were ignorant of albinism.
She recognized that the little she had learned about albinism had come from underrepresented movies. She understood this was her time to educate others about albinism.
Redd switched from a private school for the blind to a regular public school following strabismus surgery. The procedure turned out to be a great decision for Redd and his loved ones.
The family chose to have Redd surgically repaired because wearing an eye patch would have made him even more visible.
Redd’s ‘differences’ were becoming less obvious to his contemporaries as he grew older.
Redd was just like any other youngster; he needed a hat, some dark sunglasses, and sunscreen to play outside. Additionally, Redd’s younger brother Rockwell prospered on his own.
Patricia published a video of Rockwell taking part in his school’s “Western Day” on April 28, 2023.
This time, online users showered the small child with encouragement and admiration. Numerous remarks were made to the little kid, including “cute” and “adorable.”
According to a common misconception, individuals with albinism have red eyes, Patricia added. She clarified that their eyes have a bluish tint because they lack ocular pigmentation.
The lads are now flourishing and happy! To have such a lovely family, we are overjoyed!