Vitiligo is a long-term skin condition in which patches of the skin lose their pigment, becoming white with sharp margins. The disorder, which affects roughly 1-3 percent of the population, is otherwise harmless physically, but it can result in psychological stress and social stigma, as well as an increased sensitivity to the sun.
64-year-old Brazilian grandfather João Stanganelli Junior lives with vitiligo, with it becoming gradually more noticeable since it appeared in his 30s.
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Image credits: joaostanganelli
Having recently retired due to unrelated health issues, João decided to take up a hobby to keep himself active and engaged. According to Brightside, he and his wife took up crocheting, and while it was difficult at first, he soon got the hang of it.
Image credits: joaostanganelli
João says that crocheting has quite an addictive allure – once you become accustomed to the rhythm (and the callouses on the fingers), it is hard to stop!
Image credits: joaostanganelli
João’s first project was a doll for his granddaughter, something for her to always remember him by. So he created a doll with vitiligo patches, and an idea was born.
Image credits: joaostanganelli
Image credits: joaostanganelli
Image credits: joaostanganelli
João started making more of these inclusive dolls, including a doll in a wheelchair amongst others. They were all designed to help children feel ‘normal’ and valued, no matter what kind of condition they might be living with.
Image credits: joaostanganelli
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Motivated and inspired by the joy and self-esteem his dolls were bringing, João continued to create, using Facebook and Instagram to display his latest works.
For anyone thinking of retirement soon, this is the ideal way to give something back to the community!
Image credits: joaostanganelli
Image credits: joaostanganelli
“The spots I have are beautiful. What hurts me are the flaws in people’s characters,” he explains in his interviews.
Image credits: joaostanganelli
Image credits: joaostanganelli
Understanding and exposure to difference is the best way to promote inclusion, whilst fighting the social stigma that ignorance fosters. João is doing just that with his newfound hobby, and at the same time, bringing a smile to many young children in the process. Bravo João!
Image credits: joaostanganelli
Image credits: joaostanganelli
What do you think? Are you familiar with vitiligo? What kind of hobby would you like to take up when you retire? What do you think about João’s dolls? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Here’s what people had to say about João’s dolls
Source: boredpanda.com