Changing Perceptions

Experience by a patient
by Roshelle Pillay


The first annual meeting amongst members of the vitiligo society preceding its launch on the 17th of August 2008, at the Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban was held on Wednesday 27 August 2008. The societies chairman Yusuf Ismail was present enabling members of the committee in reaching a consensus.

Everyone has the potential to develop vitiligo, irrespective of race, colour or creed. It can be described as a metamorphosis that takes place for reasons within and beyond our knowledge and understanding. It is a process where by males and females of all age groups experience the disappearance of their natural skin tone in segmented form. There is no health risk as such when subjected to this condition but there is a psychological impact.

The question arises ” HOW CAN SOMETHING UTTERLY PAINLESS BRING FORTH SUCH PAIN?”. Its tough stuff contending with modern day society.. so some patients opt for cover up make-up usages in turn patients are creating a false sense of self by masking their true identity and hiding from the world. The vitiligo society of South Africa want to merge with the world.

The irony of the situation is that we as sufferers are giving way to social isolation by covering up the facts, being a sufferer myself for the past 13 years, I would love to walk into a room full of people for just once without having to be stared at in most peculiar way..but over the years I’ve come to the realisation that, that is human nature..people cast downward stares and play on ignorance when faced with the unknown.

Our forum wants to educate and inform the public, not much light has been shed on the topic of vitiligo. Patients of the condition naturally have feelings of insecurity steaming mainly from the public response, the ignorance and stigma attached to vitiligo is our plight.

The committee will host a morale boosting session at the Mandela Youth Centre in Chatsworth, from 10:00AM to 12:00 noon on the 05th October 2008. All patients as well as related individuals are invited to join us, if we all come together as a unified front we will eventually filter societies perceptions.
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