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Sweet Grandpa Crochets Dolls With Vitiligo for Kids

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Vitiligo is a condition that causes loss of skin color in patches. A sweet Grandpa who has it has been crocheting inclusive dolls with blotchy skin so kids who have it may feel better about having it.

Being good to people, not because you have to, but because you want to, is something we all need to focus more on. These feel-good stories start to grow and grow, and before you know it, more people are doing kind things. Abetter world is always possible. Want to immediately feel better? Learn about becoming a “dog snuggler” at a shelter, or a “baby snuggler” at a hospital. What’s more warm and fuzzy than babies and puppies?

Image credits: joaostanganelli

Retired Grandpa With Vitiligo Crocheting Dolls Who Have It

After retirement, João Stanganelli Junior needed something new to occupy his days, so he and his wife took up crochet. One of his first projects was to make a little doll for his granddaughter to remember him by.

Because of the patches on his face and body, he naturally added light spots to the doll. It soon became clear to him that these dolls could make little girls and boys with the condition feel better about themselves.

Bored Panda recently interviewed João.

Image credits: joaostanganelli

João decided to make inclusive dolls using his new crochet skills.

“My view of vitiligo seems to me to be very different from the general, I think it is necessary first that you have vitiligo, after this acceptance you choose what you want to do,” João told Bored Panda. “I still quote Benjamin Disraeli: ‘Life is too short to be small.”

Doesn’t that last part, the quote by Disraeli, just knock your socks off? “Life is too short to be small.”

Tati Santos de Oliveira, whose daughter Maria Luiza was only 3 when the first spots of the condition began to show, did what any mother would do. She began reading and researching.

One of the first things she did was to look for a book she could read to her daughter about another child with Vitiligo. There were none.

That’s why she wrote,  ‘A Menina Feita de Nuvens‘ or ‘The Girl Made of Clouds.’

It’s a sweet story about a little girl who has a special secret. She has spots on her body that are made of clouds! Isn’t that the sweetest? I can only imagine how much her little girl loved it.

“In Brazil, there are no animated characters on television, toys or books that represent vitiligo to children and the younger generation. I created this story for my daughter so that she feel represented and least alone. She is now seven years old and loves her little clouds. The book is about Maria Luiza, a girl with special powers; she is made of clouds. In figurative language, I tried to treat the subject of vitiligo with sensitivity and poetry,” she told Unite for Vitiligo

Image credits: joaostanganelli

Want More Information?

Learn more about João and his dolls by liking his Facebook page, or following him on Instagram. It’s fun to see all the different dolls he’s making. His wide smile is featured in almost every photo. It’s easy to see that he puts his heart and soul into these little crocheted companions for kiddos.

Tell us about some of the books that you and your kids love because they do such a great job showing the differences that make humans special.

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