Many parents desire to capture and share newborn photos of their children.
Patricia Williams did the same thing. She captured a sweet picture of her son. However, she faced an unpleasant surprise while attempting to show the photos to others.
The young child was born with white hair, but it wasn’t until he was two months old that his mother started to observe other features about him.
Dale was surprised to discover that the baby’s eyes moving side to side could be a sign of albinism. Patricia was unsure since she was unfamiliar with the term, but the young boy showed all the typical symptoms of albinism.
The couple decided to seek advice from a geneticist and an optometrist to get an official diagnosis. They found out that Redd had Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1 (OCA1), a rare condition that affects 1 in 17,000 people globally.
When Redd was born, Patricia recalls the hospital staff being thrilled to meet the baby with white hair and blue eyes. However, Patricia didn’t pay much attention to it because she, her husband, and their firstborn son, Gage, all had blonde hair.
A month later, she remembered how Redd’s hair was so white that it gleamed in the sunlight.
Despite her efforts to avoid his gaze, he continued to watch her intently. His captivating blue eyes would sometimes shimmer with a hint of red in certain lighting.
Patricia believed her son would outgrow those qualities, but she learned it was a lifelong issue when her second son was born with the same condition.
Rockwell, born in February 2018, had the same illness as his older sibling. People on social media took the baby boy’s pictures and made mean memes. Redd was bullied at school for looking different.
Consequently, Gage, his elder brother, began to take care of him. Nevertheless, Rockwell’s family was fully knowledgeable about albinism when he was born. Yet, they hadn’t expected that their son’s pictures would turn into a meme.
Dale and Patricia attempted to have all those who posted the image remove it, but they quickly understood it was not feasible. Therefore, they chose to simply disregard the situation.
To stop bullying of children who are different, they chose to be advocates for raising awareness about it. Patricia felt really sad when experts confirmed that Redd has albinism.
She worried about how the child would be treated in life due to their differences and how their family dynamics would alter if they had a child who was prone to sunburn and would eventually lose their vision.
Version 1: She clarified the reason behind Rockwell’s high level of attention. According to her, it is quite rare to come across a baby with white hair, and Rockwell’s hair stands upright, making it easily noticeable.
Her son’s pictures became a famous meme, and she gained a huge number of followers. As people started asking about her son’s looks, she realized that not many were familiar with albinism.
She knew that many people learned about albinism from rare movies with little representation. She thought she could help educate others about albinism.
Redd moved from a school for blind children to a public school after getting eye surgery for his strabismus. The family made a smart decision by opting for the procedure as it greatly helped Redd.
Redd was not given an eye patch as they believed it would make him stand out even more and attract attention. As Redd grew older, his friends began to pay less and less attention to his unique qualities.
Redd could enjoy the outdoors with only a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen, not needing any extra gear. Despite this, he was just a typical kid. Rockwell, his younger brother, was similar to Redd in this way.
On April 28, 2023, Patricia shared a video of Rockwell participating in his school’s “Western Day.” The young child received an outpouring of love and support on social media, with many calling him “cute” and “adorable.”
Patricia stated that many people mistakenly believe that individuals with albinism have red eyes. She clarified that due to the absence of pigmentation, their eyes often appear light blue.
The boys are doing really well and making the most of their lives!