As a child, it’s never easy to be made to feel like you’re different from everybody else. In one way or another, it’s something that many of us experience and coming to terms it can be a difficult process.
This is the reality that 8-year-old Carter Blanchard was faced with when he developed a skin condition called ‘vitiligo’, which caused patches of his skin to lose its pigment.
Carter had a very hard time accepting his appearances as his skin began to develop and change rapidly.
“The first thing he’d tell me when he got in the car is that he hated his face and hated the way he looked,” said his mother, Stephanie Adcock.
Carter was distraught. It seemed there was nothing she could do to make Carter see himself as the beautiful young boy he was. That was until he met Rowdy, the purebred black labrador.
Rowdy was a 13-year-old dog who was diagnosed with vitiligo too. His unique patches made him an internet sensation and that’s how Ms. Adcock discovered him.
“I read that Rowdy had vitiligo, and I was blown away… When I showed Carter, he was so excited to see a dog that was famous for his vitiligo,” she said.
Carter and Rowdy met soon after and it was wonderful – they developed an instant friendship. Rowdy gave Carter a real sense of confidence and taught him how to embrace his skin condition and see it as something that makes him unique and beautiful.
“Rowdy making children and adults embrace their diversity is beyond rewarding. I am in awe of what we have been able to accomplish with his condition,” said Rowdy’s owner.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
