Redd had also experienced bullying during school where children made fun of him for looking different. His big brother Gage became protective of him because of it. But when Rockwell was born the family already knew a lot of albinism and hence were fully prepared. But what they had not prepared for was their little boy’s pictures being turned into a meme.
At first Dale and Patricia reached out to everyone who shared the image to delete it but they soon realized that it was an impossible endeavor hence they decided to just ignore the entire thing.
Shutterstock
They decided to become advocates for raising awareness about the condition so children who had it would not be bullied for being different. When Redd’s albinism had been confirmed by professionals, Patricia was very upset.
She was worried how the child would be treated in life for being different and how their family dynamics would shift with a child who burned easily and could be legally blind.
She explained why Rockwell received so much attention. She said, “It’s very unusual to see a baby with white hair, and Rockwell’s hair sticks straight up, so it’s very noticeable.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsD4ZhntLof/
After images of he son became a viral meme, she gained a lot of followers. Soon she started receiving questions about why her son looked the way he looked and it dawned on her; people did not know about albinism.
She realized what people knew about albinism came from obscure movies with little representation. Thus she figure she had a unique opportunity; to spread awareness about albinism.
Redd received eye surgery to correct his strabismus and shifted from a private school for blind children to a public one. The surgery was a brilliant decision for the family as it helped Redd a lot.
They opted for the surgery as opposed to Redd wearing an eye patch as that would have further made the child stand out and get unwanted attention. Now as Redd grew older, his friends noticed his ‘differences’ less and less.
All they knew was that Redd needed a hat, dark sunglasses, and sunscreen to play outside but apart from that he could do everything any other child could. And just like Redd, his little brother Rockwell also flourished.
On April 28, 2023, Patricia shared a clip of Rockwell from his school’s “Western Day.” This time around the little boy was met with a lot of love and appreciation on social media. People called the little boy “cute” and “adorable.”
Patricia explained how there was a big misconception that people with albinism have red eyes. She said they tend to have light blue eyes because their eyes lack pigment.
ADVERTISEMENT
