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| Gaone Tlhong and her husband Alvin Taffy |
Yesterday, RML shared a picture of a bride with vitiligo on her wedding day and it was surprising how much people liked it. Some made a comment about the bride using foundation, but these posts are about acceptance of vitiligo as a health condition and nothing to be ashamed of.
To further this message, the VR Foundation is petitioning the United Nations to make official the World Vitiligo Day as 25 June. You can sign the petition by clicking the link below;
The picture above is of another beautiful couple - Gaone and Alvin. Gaone has had vitiligo since childhood and got married to her husband who is not living with Vitiligo. Gaone is the founder of Beyond Vitiligo South Africa, and is working on it with her husband, who is of very great support. The couple welcomed their baby recently.
More about Gaone...
Gaone Petronella Tlhong was four years-old when she first showed signs of vitiligo. Born in South African to a Botswana father and a South African mother, Gaone recognizes South Africa as home, and has become the voice of the vitiligo community in South Africa. When Gaone was 14, her vitiligo mysteriously disappeared only to reappear when she was in her second year at the University. The experience was traumatic for her because the stigma attached to the disease in South Africa is rooted in superstition. Many believe the disease is a curse or punishment handed down to scar generation after generation. The stigma causes many to live in isolation and shame. Recalling names like “twin color,” “chameleon,” and “black and white,” Gaone is no stranger to the taunts of both children and adults alike. Beyond Vitiligo is a call to the community to live beyond the disease and to encourage individuals to take vitiligo for exactly what it is; a disease with natural causes, and not a curse.
Find out more about Gaone and her work at Beyond Vitiligo website - Facebook page
Background - Vitiligo is a skin disease characterized by irregular white patches or blotches on skin. The patches which can appear on any part of the body result in the destruction of the skin’s pigment producing cells called melanocytes. There is currently no cure for vitiligo.
I'm glad this was featured Myne. Not that I had any stigma towards people with vitiligo but putting faces to it has made me more aware and certainly I will make a conscious effort when I can, to correct misconceptions about the condition.
ReplyDeleteI had vitiligo for 8 years, and I had tried all (PUVA, topical steroid, meladinine cream with exposure to sunlight/PUVA, oral meladinine, oil of bergamot). The vitiligo covered my neck, and one-fourth of my face. My dermatologists could not help me. Then somebody recommended me a natural treatment, and it worked for me very well. Now i'm cured. This helped me a lot: naturalvitiligotreatmentsystems.com
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