A Black mother made the headlines after giving birth to an albino baby with ginger hair.
24-year-old Vivienne Temitope Hassan and her husband Ezike Ebhota were left stunned as they welcomed their first baby, a boy named Zayne, in March 2023.
Despite both parents being black, their first child was born with white skin and bright orange hair. And since albinism doesn’t run in their families, the couple was that much more surprised by the news.
“When the midwives first handed Zayne to me, I was shocked and happy at the same time. At first I wondered if he was okay, health-wise. I asked doctors lots of questions and they said that his melanin may kick in after a few weeks,” Vivienne recalled.
“Some Nigerian babies are born lighter and then their completion gets darker, but Zayne’s remained the same.”
As the young mom admitted, she has since colored her hair orange to match her son’s look. She also said she has no problem talking about Zayne’s condition to “inquisitive” strangers.
“We obviously get a lot of attention when we’re out in public but people are mostly inquisitive and I’m happy to talk about Zayne’s condition,” Vivienne added.
“He’s naturally such a happy and friendly baby, I don’t blame people for being drawn to him.”
The 24-year-old went on to say that she doesn’t care what her son looks like because he’s “gorgeous” the way he is. She did admit, however, that she was worried about how albinism would affect the boy’s health in the future.
“He can’t see people from a distance and when he goes outside, I lather him in sunscreen to protect his skin. We will be monitoring his sight as he grows because melanin levels affect how the retina develops,” the mother says.
“When we go out as a family, people stare. I don’t blame them, we’re two black people with a white baby. Some people have even asked if Zayne is a doll, but they soon figure it out when he lets out his adorable giggle. Thankfully, we haven’t experienced any unkind comments in person.”
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