Many parents want to snap pictures of their newborns and post them online.
Patricia Williams was the same way about this. She snapped a sweet picture of her son. However, when she attempted to distribute his pictures, she had an unpleasant surprise.
Continue reading to find out more.Patricia gave birth to her son Redd in 2012.
The little child’s mother didn’t see other features in him until he was two months old, even though he had white hair from birth.
Her husband Dale was astonished to discover that the baby’s side-to-side eye movements were a symptom commonly linked to albinism when he chose to look into why the eyes were moving. Patricia was skeptical, having never even heard the name before, yet the tiny child had white hair, pale skin, and tracking eyes—all signs of albinism.
The next step for the couple was to seek a formal diagnosis by visiting an optometrist and a geneticist. It was determined that Redd suffered from Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1 (OCA1), a condition that affects 1 in 17,000 people globally.
Patricia recalls the enthusiasm that pervaded the hospital staff when Redd was born—everyone was looking forward to seeing the baby with the blue eyes and white hair. Because she, her husband, and her firstborn son, Gage, all had blonde hair, Patricia did not bat an eye at the moment.
She recalled observing that Redd’s hair shone in the son a month after they had brought him home due to its extreme whiteness.
She may try to divert his gaze, but he would not look away; his eyes would follow her. He also had incredibly blue eyes that would shine crimson in certain light.
Patricia didn’t realize her son’s condition was permanent until her second son was born, despite her conviction that he would outgrow these traits.
February 2018 saw the birth of Rockwell, who shared his older sibling’s ailment. The newborn boy’s pictures were stolen by social media users, who then used them to make offensive memes.Redd has also experienced bullying at school due to his unusual appearance.
His older brother Gage began to watch out for him as a result. But because Rockwell’s parents were knowledgeable of albinism when he was born, they were ready for anything. They had no idea, though, that pictures of their little boy would become viral.
After realizing that it would be impossible to persuade everyone who had shared the photograph to remove it, Dale and Patricia decided to just disregard the whole situation.
They decided to take on the role of advocates for raising awareness about the issue in order to stop bullying of kids with disabilities because they are different. Patricia was not happy when specialists determined that Redd was albino.
If they had a child who burned easily and would eventually grow blind, she was worried about how the child would be treated in life due to their differences and how their family dynamics would change.
She gave an explanation for the attention that Rockwell attracted. “Seeing a baby with white hair is extremely uncommon, and Rockwell’s hair sticks straight up, so it’s very noticeable,” the woman remarked.
As images of her son became a viral meme, she gained a sizable following. She soon discovered that not many people were aware of albinism when she started to receive questions about her son’s looks.
She realized that the majority of the knowledge people possessed about albinism originated from obscure movies that included little to no representation. As a result, she thought she had a unique chance to spread awareness of albinism.
Following eye surgery to address his strabismus, Redd moved from a special school for blind children to a public school. The treatment was a smart decision for the family to have because Redd benefited much from it.
Redd was exactly like any other child, except that he could play outside without any special gear—all he needed was a hat, some dark shades, and sunscreen. Like Redd, Rockwell, his younger brother, too achieved success.
In a video that Patricia shared on April 28, 2023, Rockwell is shown during his school’s “Western Day.” On social media, the tiny child was showered with love and support this time. The little child was called “cute” and “adorable.”
Patricia claims that there is a common misconception that those who have albinism have red eyes. They usually have bright blue eyes, she said, because their eyes are colorless.
The guys are doing great and having the time of their lives!
Since they believed that Redd would stand out even more and attract more attention if he wore an eye patch, they decided against doing so. As Redd grew older, his pals began to notice his “differences” less and less.
