Today we will share a beautiful catching vitiligo story by Nóra Kertész.
Nóra (20) is a young woman living in the beautiful city Érd in Hungary. Today she will share her personal vitiligo story with the intention to inspire every reader, no matter where you are located!
I was only 6 years old when me and my family realised that white patches appeared on my skin. Plenty of doctors tried to help, but they said it is a very new thing and the medicine is yet undeveloped. It was really hard during kindergarten and after that in school as well. My classmates did not understand what this is. I was strange and weird for everyone. At school sometimes my teachers pushed me out of the classroom asking me to remove my ‘makeup’. I had to tell them everytime, that I cannot do that as it is not makeup.
Once on the beach an old lady pointed at me and told her grandchildren: ‘Look, look!! How does she look like, huh? It might be fungus or another disease!’
This experience shocked me. I cried a lot and I said to my mother, that I don’t want to go to the beach anymore. Accepting my vitiligo was really a hard and long process. I hated to explain to everybody what my condition was and that this is not an illness. I wouldn't want to speak about it unless somebody asked me about the white patches. I felt ashamed that my skin will never be so neat and beautiful, as I want it to be. But one day something really strange happened.
I was in a dance competition with my team and we wanted to go out of the hall and practice a bit. All the team members were gone, but I was still there as I was tying my shoes and suddenly a very nice woman came to me who noticed my white patches. She told me that her daughter had vitiligo as well and that she has it on her whole body and a professional doctor could help with some cream and a specific laser treatment. Her daughter's skin became almost totally patchless. She gave me the doctor’s phone number and said: ‘I hope you will be happier too after that!’
I was so excited and I ran out of the hall to my team and I told them everything about what just happened. I thought it was a miracle, but my team's reaction was not what I expected it to be. They almost cried and each of them said that this laser treatment would be a huge mistake, because these white patches are a part of me and that I am so special with vitiligo. They convinced me to not proceed with the treatment as they love me with the white patches even more and that they have known me for many years as their fantastic Vitiligo friend.
This story changed my mind and my life too. I have never heard such a nice, positive and powerful support before towards my skin condition. Since that day, I have been thinking about vitiligo in another way. I love vitiligo and I love myself with the skin that I have.
I am so happy that more people are getting to know about vitiligo and that people with vitiligo are slowly starting to accept themselves.
I am very impressed with many of the models with vitiligo. They truly show that a speciality as such can be beautiful.
If I can, I want to do the same in my own way. I want to tell my story to these people, who have anxiety and lack of confidence. I want to tell you that the skin condition could be a source of happiness and a reason to love yourself. - Nóra Kertész
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