Nine-year-old She’riq Elliiot has albinism but her twin brother Te’riq was born without the condition.
Albinism is a congenital disorder that causes pale skin, sensitivity to the sun and eyesight issues.
While She’riq and Te’riq from Florida look totally different, they have an older sister Sheterria, 20, who also has albinism and has therefore helped She’riq deal with it.
Sheterria explained what it was like when the twins were first born: ‘I was in elementary school and I was so excited because I wanted one to come out looking like me.
‘My brother picked me up from school and we went to the hospital and everybody was quiet. They took me to the NICU because they said one of the babies was in there.
‘My sister was there and she had a head full of blonde hair like me. She looked just like me. I started crying. That was the best moment ever.’
While there’s no history of albinism in parents Sherria or Terry’s family, the combination of their genes appears to have a significantly increased chance of resulting in a child with the disorder.
The twins are inseparable but She’riq has to deal with comments that her brother doesn’t.
She explained:’People sometimes don’t believe we are twins. We’re totally different. He’s funnier than me and I’m just kind of calm.
‘Everybody comes up to me and they’re like “why are you lighter than your brother?” So I tell them.’
Though older sister Sheterria was glad to have someone who looks like her in the family, she hopes her younger sister will have an easier time in childhood than she did.
‘Kids [used to throw] food at me,’ she added.
‘I was the lightest person in the school because it was an African American school. I was crying, bawling. I was like “mummy, I don’t understand why these kids are treating me like this”.’
Experiences like this allowed Sheterria to understand how people reacted to albinism out in the world, so she ensured She’riq met any questions or judgement head-on.
It’s an effort that’s been appreciated by the youngster.
She’riq said: ‘My sister helped me with my Albinism because she comforts me. She helped me with talking to more people, because I used to be kind of shy. But now I just like to make friends.’
Sheterria has now learned to overcome the negativity and embrace herself – modelling and launching her own eyelash extension company.
‘When I look in the mirror, I see somebody who has come a long way,’ she said.
‘Looking in the mirror now is totally different from how I used to look in the mirror because when I wake up, I don’t have my makeup done and everything is blonde.
‘My eyebrows are blonde, my eyelashes are blonde, everything is blonde, and I used to hate that. I used to not be proud of who I used to see when I looked at the mirror. But now I look in the mirror and I’m like “yes, you cute”.’
Recently the twins and Sheterria were chosen to be part of an uplifting photo series called the ‘Skin I’m In’ project, which was exhibited in Houston.
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