Motherhood is an adventure that often comes with a string of surprises. Many women discover a fierce protective instinct that they didn’t know they had, and this is especially true when their child is born with an unexpected condition. Patricia Williams is no stranger to the unpredictability of raising children with unique needs: the mother of four has two boys who were born with albinism.
When their second son, Redd, was born, they had no idea he had albinism. They just thought he had really blonde hair. However, they knew that their babies had a 25% chance of being born with albinism after learning that both Patricia and her husband were carriers. This made it really exciting to experience the births of their last two sons.
During Patricia’s labor with Redd, there was a moment just before she pushed him out where the doctor was holding a flashlight to get a better look at his head. Next to him was her husband, and behind him were two male associates. “Woah, he has some really blonde hair,” one of them said, and Patricia just knew! Her husband smiled and said, “He’s an albino.” Patricia squealed, her mother-in-law cried, and when they called Patricia’s 91-year-old grandmother (also an albino) to tell her the news, she cried out, “Oh no!” and made them all laugh.
In their first year with Redd, they quickly realized how much attention he drew when they were out in public. They got stopped everywhere they went by people curious about his white hair. Many times, their son was the first albino that someone had ever seen, so they’d ask more questions or would want to touch his hair. However, last year, he was picked up by a modeling agency in Los Angeles and has had various modeling jobs for clothing lines and even got a small part in a music video.
When Redd was younger, he refused to wear sunglasses, and because of his sensitivity to sunlight, they had to do a lot of beaches and playgrounds at dawn or at sundown, so he could play comfortably. This became fun for them because they were usually the only ones there. Now that he’s older, he knows to put on his hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen before going outside and is good about reminding them if they forget. They carry a lot of sunscreen and multiple sunglasses and hats in their car, so they are always prepared for him to be outside.
Patricia was most unprepared for the fact that the majority of those with albinism are legally blind. Redd was only 3 months old when their optometrist told them that he would most likely be legally blind and unable to drive a car. This news was a shock, but Patricia and her husband were determined to give their son the best possible life. They educated themselves about albinism and made sure to take all necessary precautions to protect his vision. They also enrolled him in early intervention programs and hired a tutor to help him with schoolwork.
Overall, Patricia and her family have learned to embrace their children’s uniqueness and celebrate their differences. They have found strength in their journey and hope to inspire other parents who may be facing similar challenges. Patricia’s advice to other parents in her shoes is to educate themselves, reach out to support groups, and never give up on their children’s potential.