afraid people would think she had stolen a white baby. Growing up, Debra always wanted to be the color that her siblings were, and felt out of place because she looked so different from them, she says, even though they never treated her differently. Debra laments the lack of information about albinism. She recalls buying an instant tanning lotion, not realizing that people with albinism cannot tan. Instead of the lotion giving her a slightly darker complexion, it didn’t work at all. “The spots that did tan turned completely orange!” she laughs. People with albinism frequently have poor eyesight, too, and while Debra was able to get her driver’s license, many others are unable to pass the eyesight test. Worse than that lack of information is the misinformation. Debra was once told, after dyeing her hair red, that she couldn’t actually be albino, because people with albinism “can’t dye their hair.” People often share misinformation through social media, she says, and these comments are hurtful. Sometimes they will post a picture of a child with albinism with a caption instructing the viewers to share it if they think the child is cute. “What does that mean?” Debra asks. “What does that have to do with anything?” At one time, Debra preferred to ignore comments, as she ignored rude stares and hurtful comments, but now, she is more likely to respond to people’s uneducated comments. She wants people to know that those with albinism “have feelings, too,” she says. “We’re not on display.” Albinism is not a disease, and it’s not something to be cured, she continues: “We ourselves can’t change it, because if we could, we would.” Debra’s perspective has changed over time. There was no single defining moment, but a slow drift toward acceptance of herself. “Your perspective and world view change a lot when you get older,” she says. Debra no longer cares what people think, because she has reached a peace of knowing who she is. She still faces obstacles and comments about her appearance, but knows her self-worth is not wrapped up in how she looks. Young Debra Debra once asked her children if they were ever embarrassed about her appearance, and they said no. To them, she is just their mom. Debra says that as she has matured, her perspective has changed, “ Your perspective and world view change a lot when you get older. ” because appearance isn’t as important as it used to be. She doesn’t notice people staring as much as they did when she was growing up, but she’s not sure if people stare less, or if she has simply grown used to the attention. She wants to share her story to help educate the public about people with albinism, so that the world can become a better place. Leah Bashaw Leah was raised in Columbus, Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.A. in English. Leah is passionate about writing and strives to be active in the Columbus community, exploring the sights and volunteering. 20 | ENVISION PROVEN SUCCESS MAGAZINE
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