Nigerian born Turkey Resident, VIVIENNE TEMITOPE HASSAN colors hair orange, after she gave birth to an Albino, so ‘Son doesn’t feel left out’ in look
…First-time parents confessed albinism doesn’t run on either side of the family
*24-year-old Content Creator expressed shock when her baby boy, Zayne, was born with albinism
*Husband Ezike Ebhota, who works in real estate, black as wife, says Son was born with white skin and blonde hair
*”When the midwives first handed Zayne to me, I was shocked and happy at the same time. At first I wondered if he was okay, health-wise. I asked doctors lots of questions and they said that his melanin may kick in after a few weeks. I started dying my hair to match his so he doesn’t feel left out and it’s fun to match. We obviously get a lot of attention when we’re out in public but people are mostly inquisitive and I’m happy to talk about Zayne’s condition. He’s naturally such a happy and friendly baby, I don’t blame people for being drawn to him. I will describe my pregnancy”-Vivienne
BY AMINA RABIU/FOREIGN Correspondent, Turkey & GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/AMERICA Senior Investigative Editor
THEY ARE BOTH NIGERIANS, husband and wife lawfully resident in Turkey. They’ve got brown eyes and black skin. Vivienne Temitope Hassan, 24 and Ezike Ebhota gave birth to a boy, light skinned in a Turkish hospital, only to discover him to be an Albino.
A black mom whose albino baby was born with ginger hair has revealed that she dyes her own ‘so he doesn’t feel left out.’
Vivienne, a content creator was ‘shocked’ when she first met her baby boy, Zayne, who was born with albinism in March 2023.
Despite Vivienne and husband Ebhota, who works in real estate, both being black, Zayne was born with white skin and blonde hair.
The first-time parents say that albinism doesn’t run on either side of the family, making Zaye’s condition even more surprising.
At three months old, the back of Zayne’s hair started turning red and by September, he had a full head of red hair, inspiring Vivienne to dye her own.
Now a ‘happy and healthy’ 10-month-old, the only part of albinism that affects Zayne is his eyes, which are sensitive to light.
Vivienne confessed: ‘When the midwives first handed Zayne to me, I was shocked and happy at the same time.
“At first I wondered if he was okay, health-wise. I asked doctors lots of questions and they said that his melanin may kick in after a few weeks.
“Some Nigerian babies are born lighter and then their completion gets darker, but Zayne’s remained the same.”
She continued: “I started dying my hair to match his so he doesn’t feel left out and it’s fun to match!
“We obviously get a lot of attention when we’re out in public but people are mostly inquisitive and I’m happy to talk about Zayne’s condition.
“He’s naturally such a happy and friendly baby, I don’t blame people for being drawn to him.”
Describing her pregnancy as ‘normal’ and with nothing being detected during scans, Vivienne was left surprised when welcoming her albino son.
Medics initially suggested that Zayne’s completion may change “after a couple of weeks”, however, he was later diagnosed with albinism.
Albinism is an inherited condition that leads to someone having very light skin, hair and eyes because they have less melanin than usual in their body.
Zayne’s hair changing came as a shock to Vivienne as medics hadn’t advised her of this but her worries were put to rest after a Google search reassured her that it was normal.
Albinism also means Zayne is extremely sensitive to light, so Vivienne will thickly apply sunscreen on him and a hat when taking him out in daylight.
Vivienne explained: “Albinism wasn’t something we knew much about. “I didn’t care what my son looked like. To us, he was gorgeous regardless, but it was more how Zayne’s health might be in the future.
“He can’t see people from a distance and when he goes outside, I lather him in sunscreen to protect his skin.
“We will be monitoring his sight as he grows because melanin levels affect how the retina develops. When we go out as a family, people stare. I don’t blame them, we’re two black people with a white baby. Some people have even asked if Zayne is a doll, but they soon figure it out when he lets out his adorable giggle. Thankfully, we haven’t experienced any unkind comments in person.”
Documenting Zayne’s journey on TikTok, which now boasts over 232,000 followers, Vivienne says she’s ‘had to grow a thick skin’ to overcome anonymous trolls.
“People online have said me and my husband should not have any more children, accused us of “glorifying albinism” and have even accused Ezike of not being Zayne’s father.
“It used to hurt me to the point when I nearly deleted his account but I couldn’t let hurtful strangers steal my joy.
“Zayne is such a beautiful baby and I love his little community that we’ve built to spread awareness of albinism.
“When we had him, we didn’t know much about the condition and I’d like to think that his platform will help other parents.
“It’s horrible that people would write things about an innocent baby but now I just block and delete as I see fit.
“People online have accused me of dying Zayne’s hair, which is crazy as he’s only a baby. I love matching my hair to Zayne’s. Maybe one day I’ll get my hubby to do the same.”
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