NOAH AOC

I am so excited to see this topic!  I am an adult with albinism who was in foster care for the first 10 months of my life.  I was born in 1967 and albinism was viewed quite differently then than now.  I was considered a "hard to adopt baby."    They felt I would be mentally challenged and my success in life would be limited.  I am happy to report the authorities were wrong as I am a successful business owner, wife and a proud Mother of three great kids!  

There are many aspects about adoption I have experienced and find helpful as I work with many adoptive families in my career.  Most importantly I love trying to help make connections with a child or babies current environment and the one they will be moving into.  Consistency with familiar sounds, smells and even sights are so important for all babies but I believe even more so for the visually impaired child. 

I chose to find my birthmom and birth father.  This too was an interesting learning opportunity and one I am grateful to have experienced.

If anyone wishes to contact me about these topics I am happy to share!

http://www.familypaws.com/adoption/

jen@familypaws.com

Hi I was so inspired when I read your article. I have just discovered and joined the site today.  I am 34 with aibinism and single living in Zimbabwe.I have so many fears and insecurities that i may never get married and i fear that if i do what colour will my children be? if they are like me what of the discriminatins and challenges they will face? if they are different from me will they not be ashamed of me when they are older? Did you ever have such feelings as you were growing up?

 Kryss,

The only way that your child/children would have Albinism is if their father carries the same exact gene that you have for the condition. 

I am 24 and I was born in India. Being born with Albinism in a country where everyone has dark skin is rough. I was put up for adoption at 4. Months and spent the next two years in orphanages. I was in an orphanage were those kids were not likely to be adopted back into Indian culture. I was lickly adopted by an american family. I do wish my family had taght me my Indian culture cause I forget that I am Indian. I am glad that I grew up in a white family cause then I fit in with my family.

Familypaws,

Your story is certainly inspiring.  I read it today which happened to be a not so happy day for me after reading about some Kenyan guy who was attempting to sell a person with albinism to Tanzania.  That really upset my usually cool emotional balance. 

Kryss,

I'm also from Zimbabwe but I'm currently studying in South Africa, should be done end of this year.  You and I share quite a lot of similarity in background.  I'm turning 35 in November.  I'm single, have 'on' and 'off' had the fears that you have.  My younger sister who also has albinism and is younger by a year and a half was married two years ago but to an Anglican priest who according to her is unfaithful and a drunk.  She has two daughters, both probably carriers of albinism but they have what most would call the normal pigment.  I have chosen not to marry 'just for the sake of being married'.  I will marry someone I love and someone who truly loves me (within human capabilities, of course), otherwise, I'll adapt to being single forever.  I keep culturing myself to face both possible eventualities, singleness forever or marriage.  The way I see it, both sides of that coin have their pros and cons.  Marriage would have been ideal but not at any cost.

 Hope that my thoughts are useful to you or somebody else on here.

Welcome to the site Jes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!