When somebody suffers from a disease, they sometimes suffer behind-the-scenes and nobody really knows what they are going through. That isn’t true of the 3 million Brazilians who suffer from vitiligo. That disease causes the loss of skin color in some areas of the body, so it is visible and easy for everyone to see. Although there are some treatments that may help to reduce the problem, there is very little that can be done to help individuals who suffer from it to cope with the mental anguish and the prejudice that often follows.
Every once in a while, you hear about somebody that steps up to the plate and really makes a difference in the lives of other people. That is the case with Mr. João, a man who suffers from vitiligo and decided to use his condition to raise awareness and to improve the lives of children who also suffer from the disease. In fact, he does so in a rather unusual way, he uses crochet to bring joy to the lives of children that suffer and when you see what he does, you will be thrilled that he takes the time to do it.
João Stanganelli is a 64-year-old man who first started showing signs of vitiligo when he was 38 years old. At the time, he worked in the gastronomy industry but his life changed because of a heart problem last year.
Although he suffered from a rather noticeable and difficult disease, he decided not to let it get the best of him. He took up the hobby of crochet to keep himself active and happy. He also has his wife, Marilena by his side and she supports him as he learns to crochet.
Although he says it wasn’t easy, and he even thought about giving up, he decided to stick with it. He crocheted his first doll after five days of trying.
Not everybody is able to crochet. Calluses form on your fingers and it can be irritating. After you get accustomed to it, however, you want to keep going.
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Originally, he wanted to make dolls for his granddaughter so that she would have something special to remember him.
When he decided to make a doll with vitiligo, Vitilinda was the creation. She had uneven skin and spots.
After the success of his first doll, he decided to do more. He made dolls in wheelchairs and everybody loved them.
Although he may have many goals, his most important is to improve the self-esteem of those who suffer with the skin condition. When he realized that somebody values something that he created, it inspires him to do more.
He always says the following during interviews: “The spots I have are beautiful. What hurts me are the flaws in people’s characters.”
Wise words, indeed.
Source: Brightside