This Brazilian grandfather has vitiligo, and he crochets dolls for kids with the same condition

Vitiligo is a skin ailment which causes loss of skin color in blotches, and it tends to grow over time. Around 0.5 – 1% of the world’s population has this skin condition.

João Stanganelli, a 64-year-old Brazilian granddad has vitiligo. He recently retired from working after facing some health issues and decided to take up crocheting as a hobby with this wife. After mastering rug and animal designs, Stanganelli decided to make a special doll for his granddaughter that included vitiligo patches so she’d always remember him.

He says his granddaughter was overjoyed, and Stanganelli was so proud of the creation that he shared a photo of it online. Soon after, Stanganelli began getting requests from people looking for their own “vitilindas” and “vitilindos.”

So far, he’s created about 200 custom dolls, including a doll in a wheelchair, a doll with alopecia and one with a cochlear implant.

Read more here: https://people.com/human-interest/grandfather-vitiligo-crochets-dolls-kids/