Frankie

Frankie was born in May of 2006, greeted by myself, my husband and big sister Lizzy. He was born with a little bit of white hair and white eyebrows. Being quite light ourselves, we did not think too much of it.
Having a daughter and a son was a great feeling, "one of each". Frankie was an easy baby, not really crying too much while waiting for his bottle to warm up! While holding him, I felt as though he were more vulnerable than my daughter, but did not know why.
It was not until he was about 4 month old that I started to notice his poor vision. I had read that babies could track objects by this age, and noticed he could not. A stuffed animal fell towards his face and he did not even blink! We took him to my daughter's eye doctor, and a diagnosis of ocular cutaneous albinism was given. I watched as he did not respond to any flashlights, objects, etc. We were told he knew us by our voices, not our faces!
I know I was in shock as I told family and friends that first day, just reciting what I had been told by the doctor. This shock lasted a while, maybe a month or 2. I was sad about it, but more in shock, looking back on it. I was told he would see better as he got older, but as a mother of a little baby, I was just upset by the fact that he was almost blind! Looking ahead was not something I could do at that point.
In time my shock turned to sadness, one I had not ever experience before. He did start to see more and respond to visual cues, but I still could not get over the fact that he would never see as well as others. That he would be different in some way. It took me about a year to feel ok again and celebrate his albinism. It is just now that I can write about it and tell others about his condition without feeling sad.
People say that going though difficult things makes you stronger. I can't say that for all people, but somehow this experience has made me stronger. I am now happy that Frankie has white hair and eyebrows. I would not change a thing about him. He has brought us all so much joy! He and his big sister Lizzy love each other so and it is so heartwarming to watch them together.