After his birth, a baby boy with snow-white hair was teased when his photos went viral. His mother tried breaking the stereotypes about his condition by addressing the most common misconceptions about him and his older brother. The little boy is now looking forward to celebrating Halloween.
Utah resident Patricia Williams, then 43, was a mother of four children, and two of them were born with albinism. The fashion designer was left heartbroken when she shared adorable social media photos of her baby boy, Rockwell, who had albinism.
Social media trolls stole her youngest son’s images and turned them into hurtful memes that went viral. When Redd, Patricia’s second son, born in August 2012, was only two months old, the parents noticed that something stood out about him.
His eyes would constantly move from side to side, and when her husband, Dale Williams, then 45, Googled the cause, they found out that Redd had albinism. Patricia said the first thing her husband encountered was that albinism, a word she’d never heard and had to ask what it meant, was a common trait in infants.
She recalled Dale looking at Redd and noting how he had all the symptoms of albinism — pale skin, white hair, and tracking eyes. Patricia immediately disagreed before asking if people with albinism didn’t have red eyes.
The couple met with an optometrist and genetic specialists, who diagnosed the boy with Oculocutaneous Albinism Type one (OCA1). Redd’s condition affected one in 17,000 people worldwide.
The boy was born with blue eyes and white hair, and nurses would come in to see the “baby with the white hair,” but it took some time for his parents to realize something was special about it. Patricia, her husband, and their oldest son, Gage, all had blonde hair.
So, having a child with the shade of blonde that Redd had didn’t phase them. When Redd had been home for a month, his mother recalled how his hair was so white it sparkled in the sun, his eyes tracked even when she tried blocking them to see if he’d avert them, and they were so blue sometimes certain lights made them flash red.
Despite proof that he was different, Patricia brushed it off, thinking he’d grow out of those traits. Then Rockwell was born and had the same condition, but instead of being embraced by the world, he and his brother were outcasts.
How Did People React to the White-Haired Boys?
In February 2018, Rockwell was born with the same condition as his older brother. His newborn images were stolen on social media, and people made fun of his hair color, with one meme of the infant saying:
“When she get (sic) pregnant by her sugar daddy.”
Sadly, Redd had also experienced bullying in the playground, where he was stared at and teased by other children because of his skin color and for looking different. The devastating behavior shown by other children towards Gage’s brother led him to become protective.
So when Rockwell came around, their parents knew more about the condition and had prepared prior. However, his parents were upset when their youngest son’s images became viral memes.
They went out of their way to ask each person who reshared the post to take it down, but they soon realized it was out of their hands. Dale and his wife, who were also parents to their son Wolfgang, decided it was best to ignore the cruel joke.
Instead, they’ve become advocates of raising awareness about albinism, hoping that children who had it wouldn’t be bullied or teased anymore. When Redd’s albinism was confirmed, his mother was shocked and cried a lot.
She worried about how he would be treated, his future, and that their family dynamics would change since they had a son who burnt easily and might be legally blind. The fashion designer felt the comments and attention Rockwell garnered were more common, explaining:
“It’s very unusual to see a baby with white hair, and Rockwell’s hair sticks straight up, so it’s very noticeable.”
The negativity her youngest son received was unexpected, and Dale’s wife started attracting more followers. Some people asked questions about her child, and that’s when it dawned on the fashion designer that people needed to be more clued up about albinism.
Patricia revealed how people had unique ideas about the condition because of movies they’d seen. It dawned on her she had a unique chance to build awareness and educate people through social media by sharing her family photos.
Redd received laser eye surgery to correct his strabismus and moved from a private Blind School to a public one. His surgery was successful, and now Patricia told other parents who were considering it that it was the best thing for their son.
Patricia shared how “sickening” it was to learn that Rockwell and Redd would have to live fearfully.
If they didn’t get him the treatment, the boy would’ve had to wear an eye patch, which would take months to correct his condition and would bring him unwanted attention. Now that he was older, most friends didn’t notice how different he was.
However, they knew he needed a hat, dark sunglasses, and sunscreen to play outside, but otherwise did everything they did. Luckily for Rockwell, just like his older brother, he’d grown into his looks.
How Does the White-Haired Boy Look Now?
On April 28, 2023, social media users saw Rockwell’s handsome appearance when Patricia shared a cute Instagram clip of him dressed up as a cowboy for his school’s “Western Day.” Now that the boy was older, he received a better reception from social media users, with one person commenting:
“So cute!!”
People’s comment’s after seeing Rockwell Williams dressed up as a cowboy for his school’s “Western Day” on April 28, 2023 | Source: Instagram/snagdip
Someone else thought the boy was “Adorable,” while a third described him as “Perfect!!” In August 2022, people also saw what Redd looked like in three different Instagram pictures, and he seemed happy as he turned ten!
In February 2023, Patricia shared a video of Rockwell walking with her at school when she came to pick him up. The happy and lively boy looked greenish yellow, and his mother explained that he’d painted himself to look like a zombie!
Dale’s wife said people with albinism were like everyone else, and having red eyes was a big misconception. She explained that their eyes didn’t have pigment, and it was usual to have light blue ones.
Another thing people got wrong about the condition was that people with it were mentally disabled when this wasn’t true. However, the scariest thing was how such people were treated in Africa, especially Tanzania, where they were targeted for their body parts.
Patricia shared how “sickening” it was to learn that Rockwell and Redd would have to live fearfully due to the threat of being hunted. People in those countries had their lives taken because some believed they made powerful traditional medicines. However, in late 2023, the children were thriving!
What Do the Williams’ Sons with Albinism Look Like Now?
On October 19, 2023, Patricia took to her Instagram account to show how much her children had grown. The loving mother shared an Instagram video of her whole family gathered together in their backyard to carve out pumpkins in preparation for this year’s Halloween.
Glimpses of the now taller Redd and Rockwell were visible in the short clip. Their parent also reminisced about 2019’s Halloween by uploading pictures of all her children dressed as Punk Clowns for their family photos for that year’s holiday.
On October 22, 2023, Rockwell appeared on his mother’s social media platform again. This time, the little boy seemed to be dressed as a scary Egyptian mummy, sporting a green-colored face and dark makeup around his eyes. Now we can’t wait to see what he’ll be for Halloween!
Click here to read about a mother who welcomed twin children with albinism and how she and her family had to relocate to keep them safe.
