“At the time, we should’ve realized there was something extra special with him when nurses (who were not our nurses) were coming in to see the ‘baby with the white hair’.” Mom, Patricia shared. However, both parents had been born with blonde hair, and so had Redd’s oldest brother Gage, therefore no one was concerned with the baby’s white hair. They were just thrilled and proud to show off their baby.
Read More: Women Are Ditching the Dye, Embracing the Gray
Noticing Signs
About 2 months after Redd’s birth, Patricia and husband Dale were sitting together at breakfast when Patricia noticed something odd. Her baby’s eyes would “track back and forth” and he was always looking upward. “I would try and block his view with my hands to see if he would divert his eyes down, but nothing ever worked.”
She asked Dale to Google it, and they learned this is a common symptom of albinism. Redd had pale skin, white hair, and of course, the “tracking eyes”. He also had seemingly red eyes, depending on the lighting. Patricia, who’d never heard the word Albinism before wasn’t convinced that her husband, or Google were correct. The pair researched the condition, watching YouTube videos to gain a better understanding of their “white haired” baby. Patricia, still a little skeptical, agreed to meet with their pediatrician. The first couple visits Redd hadn’t opened his eyes, another possible sign. People with Albinism have lighter eyes, and extreme sensitivity to light. The now a little concerned pediatrician then referred them to an optometrist and genetic specialists.
White Hair Isn’t the Only Sign
Interestingly, the genetics specialist was able to diagnose Redd without any testing, just by looking at his physical features, like the white hair. Despite being a condition that affects people globally, there are few people who know a lot about or really understand the condition. Redd was born with Oculocutaneous Albinism. The most common form of Albinism and occurs as a result of both parents carrying the gene, meaning it’s recessive. There are 3 types of albinism, some less concerning than others. For example, this variation affects skin pigmentation and vision, meanwhile Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome can cause lung and bowel diseases. Other symptoms can include social or emotional hardships.
Impaired Vision
White Hair Babies Bring Change
Due to his light sensitivity, the family would go to parks and beaches in the evening, around dawn so he could still play and enjoy the same things his brother did. Which actually, became more enjoyable to the family because few to no other people were there during that time of day. Other minor adjustments have also been made, like always packing extra sunscreen and hats.
Sometime shortly after the birth of Redd, Patricia and Dale welcomed a third son into the world, Wolfgang. He wasn’t born with white hair, instead he had light brown hair and olive skin, so they immediately knew he didn’t have the same condition.
However, when 4th son, Rockwell was born the doctor said, “Whoa! He has some really blonde hair.” Patricia knew immediately. Her 4th son would share the same traits, and possibly the same condition, as his older brother Redd.
Ignoring Judgement
Creating a Loving Environment
