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She was teased because of her skin. Now her skin's made her a star.

The things that make us different also make us beautiful.

<span class="redactor-invisible-space"></span><span class="redactor-invisible-space"></span>[youtube https://www.youtube.com/embed/__3Hm14whUY?rel=0&start=27&end=259 expand=1]

Winnie Harlow grew up with endless teasing and name calling. The insult of choice? "Zebra."

As a toddler, Winnie Harlow looked like every other happy kid. But at around 4 years old, Winnie's skin slowly started to change.

#tb.. Ya lol 👧before she was👸 #vitiligo #chantellewinnie #attitude #spicegirlsshirt lol. I wish I could ensure that little girl that things would get better, and everything would work out..💭❤
A photo posted by ♔Chantelle Winnie♔ (@winnieharlow) on



Gradually, patches of color on Winnie's arms, legs, and face began to fade from brown to pale pink. Winnie soon learned her changing skin was a result of vitiligo. Vitiligo is a skin condition that causes skin to lose its pigment. And, as Winnie's skin changed, the teasing started, almost right on cue. Taunts of "cow" and "zebra" followed Winnie through the halls, but she was determined to keep her head up.

"It was really hard growing up. I had to grow thick. People make fun of you and you have to learn how to deal or you break down. I'm not trying to break down so, I have to deal."
— Winnie Harlow

Vitiligo tends to come with invasive questions and stares, but Winnie's comfortable in her skin.

Whether they're asking if it's painful or contagious, Winnie has no problem fielding questions with a dose of honesty and humor.

"It's just a skin condition. It doesn't hurt. There's nothing wrong with me. I'm well. You can breathe the same air as me. We're cool." — Winnie Harlow

What's even more impressive is that technically Winnie could "fix" her skin if she really wanted to. There are treatments that would completely lighten her skin so she'd be all one color, or she could use special makeup to cover her spots. But she's not interested.



Original image from ThoseGirlsAreWild.

Even if you aren't religious, it's pretty inspiring to hear someone fully accept who they are. In 2011, Winnie sat down for " Vitiligo: A Skin Condition Not A Life Changer," where she shared her dreams of someday having her own talk show or working for a magazine. Now, just a few short years later, it's safe to say she's pretty much blown those dreams right out of the water. Can you say supermodel?

These days Winnie can be found strutting down runways and gracing major fashion campaigns where her skin has her standing out.

As the brand ambassador for Desigual, Winnie's face can be seen pretty much everywhere.

A photo posted by ♔Chantelle Winnie♔ (@winnieharlow) on


Here's one of my favorite photos of Winnie. To think that kids made fun of this?! Forget, "cow." This woman is a work of art. Look at how perfectly symmetrical each spot is! She's flawless.

A photo posted by ♔Chantelle Winnie♔ (@winnieharlow) on

But Winnie isn't just a model. For millions of children and adults with vitiligo, she's also a hero.

Winnie's Instagram is filled with magazine spreads, behind-the-scenes photos, and tons of fan art. But those posts are nothing compared to the messages and photos from fans who've found the strength to love themselves because of Winnie.

Came out just to meet me❤️💋 you guys give me life🙏
A photo posted by ♔Chantelle Winnie♔ (@winnieharlow) on


According to the American Vitiligo Foundation, about 1-2% of the global population has vitiligo. And while that doesn't sound like much, that's still millions of people. Millions of people who aren't used to seeing themselves represented in the media, much less represented as something beautiful. This adorable message from the mother of one Winnie's young fans proves how important her supermodel status is for young kids growing up with vitiligo:

A photo posted by ♔Chantelle Winnie♔ (@winnieharlow) on


My heart is officially melting.

Winnie's not the only model whose skin is breaking down barriers. Shaun Ross and Diandra Forrest also prove beauty comes in many shades.

If you don't know Diandra Forrest and Shaun Ross by name (or from hanging out with Beyoncé), you might know them as fashion's first albino supermodels.

One of many, and one of my fav shots with @shaundross
A photo posted by Diandra Forrest (@diandraforrest) on

But Shaun and Diandra aren't just albino, they're African-American albinos. So, of course, that adds a whole 'nother level of, "Wait, you're black but you're not black!? Whaaaa?" ridiculousness.


Original images of Diandra Forrest from Albinism Awareness Campaign.

And just like Winnie, Diandra and Shaun have both dealt with bullying. Diandra even shared in her interview for the Albinism Awareness Campaign that it wasn't just kids. Adults would stare and make comments about her too. For Shaun, it wasn't just being called names, like "powder" and "white bread"; one bullying incident ended in violence, with a classmate stabbing him six times! Today Shaun and Diandra serve as inspirations for anyone who's ever felt ashamed of their differences.



Original image from Shaun Ross' appearance on " The Tyra Banks Show."


"I think it's important for all children with albinism to know they are beautiful. They're not any different than anyone else. ... I always wanted to start something like this just because, growing up, I know that I would love to have had someone who's older around that had albinism ... just to motivate me and that would understand some of the things that I was going through and help me through them." — Diandra Forrest

Models like Winnie, Shaun, and Diandra are showing the world that the things that make us different also make us beautiful and that's something all of us could stand to remember.

You don't need vitiligo or albinism to appreciate what these incredible models have been able to achieve. Sadly, too many of us have dealt with bullying or being made to feel less than because we're different. But the real beauty is in recognizing that we are all unique and that our differences are worth embracing and celebrating.

Thank goodness there are role models like Winnie, Shaun, and Diandra out there to remind us how important it is to work whatever it is you've got.

Sponsored

Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

True

It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

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