Many parents want to take newborn photos of their kids and share them with others. Patricia Williams was no different in this regard. She took a tender photo of her son. But she encountered a bad surprise when she tried to share his photos with others.
Redd, Patricia’s son, was born in 2012. The young boy had white hair from birth, but his mother didn’t notice his other characteristics until he was two months old.
When her husband Dale decided to investigate why the baby’s eyes were moving side to side, he was shocked to learn that it was a sign frequently associated with albinism. Patricia was doubtful because she had never even heard the term before, but the young boy exhibited all the symptoms of albinism, including pale skin, white hair, and tracking eyes.
The couple’s next move was to consult a geneticist and an optometrist to receive a formal diagnosis. It was established that Redd had Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1 (OCA1), a disorder affecting 1 in 17,000 individuals worldwide.
When Redd was born, Patricia remembers the excitement among the hospital personnel, eager to meet the newborn with white hair and blue eyes. However, Patricia did not bat a look at the moment because she, her husband, and her firstborn son, Gage, all had blonde hair.
A month after they had brought Redd home, she remembered noticing that his hair was so white that it would shine in the son. His eyes would follow her despite her attempts to block them, and he would not turn them away. He also had extremely blue eyes that would glitter red under certain lighting conditions.
Patricia was certain that her son would outgrow these characteristics, but she didn’t understand it was a lifetime thing until her second son was born with the same condition.
Rockwell, born in February 2018, had the same illness as his elder sibling. Social media users stole the newborn baby boy’s photos and used them to create vile memes.
Redd had also been the target of bullying in school because he looked different. As a result, his older brother Gage started to watch out for him. However, Rockwell’s family was perfectly prepared because they were well-informed about albinism at his birth. However, they had not anticipated that the images of their young son would become a meme.
Dale and Patricia initially tried to get everyone who shared the image to take it down, but they soon realized this was impossible, so they decided to ignore the whole thing.
To prevent bullying of children with the condition of being different, they decided to become champions for spreading awareness about it. Patricia was quite unhappy when experts confirmed Redd’s albinism.
She was concerned about how the child would be treated in life due to being different and how their family dynamics would change if they had a child that burnt easily and would go blind in the future.
She explained the significance of Rockwell’s attentiveness. She says, “It’s very unusual to see a baby with white hair, and Rockwell’s hair sticks straight up, so it’s very noticeable.”
She amassed a large following as pictures of her son became a popular meme. She soon began to get inquiries regarding her son’s appearance and realized that not many people were aware of albinism.
She understood that most of people’s information regarding albinism came from obscure films with bad representation. She believed she had a rare opportunity to raise awareness of albinism.
Redd transferred from a special school for blind children to a public school after having eye surgery to treat his strabismus. The family made a wise choice in having the procedure because it benefited Redd.
They decided against having Redd wear an eye patch because they thought it would draw attention to the child and make him stick out even more. Redd’s friends started to notice his ‘differences’ less and less as he grew older.
Redd could play outside without any special equipment—all he required was a hat, some dark shades, and sunscreen—but he was otherwise just like any other kid. And like Redd, his younger brother Rockwell did well.
Rockwell can be seen in a clip Patricia posted on April 28, 2023, from his school’s “Western Day.” This time, the young youngster received a lot of love and support on social media. The young youngster was called “cute” and “adorable.”
There is a widespread misperception that people with albinism have red eyes, according to Patricia. She claimed that because their eyes lack color, they frequently have light blue eyes.
Now the lads are flourishing and having the time of their lives!
