Grandfather With Vitiligo Crochets Dolls To Make Children With This Condition Feel Better
Vitiligo is a long-term skin condition in which patches of the skin lose their pigment, becoming white with sharp margins. The disorder, which affects roughly 1-3 percent of the population, is otherwise harmless physically, but it can result in psychological stress and social stigma, as well as an increased sensitivity to the sun.
64-year-old Brazilian grandfather João Stanganelli Junior lives with vitiligo, with it becoming gradually more noticeable since it first appeared in his 30s.
Image credits: joaostanganelli
Having recently become semi-retired from the gastronomy industry due to unrelated health issues, João decided to take up a hobby to keep himself active and engaged. He and his wife took up crocheting, and while it was difficult at first, he soon got the hang of it.
“At first my fingers and back hurt a lot, today no more,” João told Bored Panda. I’m not yet retired, I still keep up my old work with food, but much less intensely. At the moment I spend 90% of my time with the dolls. I have many orders.”
Image credits: joaostanganelli
João says that crocheting has quite an addictive allure – once you become accustomed to the rhythm (and the callouses on the fingers), it is hard to stop!
João’s first project was a doll for his granddaughter, something for her to always remember him by. So he created a doll with vitiligo patches, and an idea was born.
Image credits: joaostanganelli
Image credits: joaostanganelli
Image credits: joaostanganelli
João started making more of these inclusive dolls, including a doll in a wheelchair amongst others. They were all designed to help children feel ‘normal’ and valued, no matter what kind of condition they might be living with.
Image credits: joaostanganelli
Motivated and inspired by the joy and self-esteem his dolls were bringing, João continued to create, using Facebook and Instagram to display his latest works.
For anyone thinking of retirement soon, this is the ideal way to give something back to the community!
Image credits: joaostanganelli
Image credits: joaostanganelli
“My view of vitiligo seems to me to be very different from the general, I think it is necessary first that you have vitiligo, after this acceptance you choose what you want to do,” João continued. “I still quote Benjamin Disraeli: ‘Life is too short to be small.'”
Image credits: joaostanganelli
“The horrible spots are the spots on the character.”
Image credits: joaostanganelli
João recently made a doll for author Tati Santos de Oliveira, whose daughter Maria Luiza was three years old when white spots began to gradually appear on her little legs, back and arms.
After a diagnosis of vitiligo, Tati plunged into all available literature. “When I learned of the diagnosis, I sought, in addition to treatment, publications for her to feel represented,” she said. “I did not find in the market any work on the subject for children. Then it clicked!”
Just two days later, and Tati had written ‘A Menina Feita de Nuvens‘ or ‘The Girl Made of Clouds.’ “The book tells the story of Maria Luiza and her special secret. She has spots made of clouds. It is a way to treat the acceptance of the disease with delicacy.”
João loves the book and told us that it is “a great information tool for parents and children about vitiligo, so I always make it known.” Let’s hope we see an English translation one day soon!
Image credits: joaostanganelli
Understanding and exposure to difference is the best way to promote inclusion, whilst fighting the social stigma that ignorance fosters. João is doing just that with his newfound hobby, and at the same time, bringing a smile to many young children in the process. Bravo João!
Image credits: joaostanganelli
What do you think? Are you familiar with vitiligo? What kind of hobby would you like to take up when you retire? What do you think about João’s dolls? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Here’s what people had to say about João’s dolls
Love that Not only is he supporting children with the condition but also deconstructing the gendered ideas of hobby.
Knitting and crocheting as "women's work" is a fairly new (let's call it) concept. Just as an example: a lot of fishermen used to knit when they couldn't go to sea.
Load More Replies...Awesome, my daughter has a single spot on her leg which looks almost like a heart. We tell her God loved her so much he labeled her so he never loses sight of her. Depression runs in my family so I hope that helps her when she grows up.
That's awesome! My daughters father is a horribly violent man and she doesn't remember him Thank God! But she will ask where her daddy is and I tell her that Jesus doesn't give daddies to the kids with moms as awesome as hers is. Lol Shes only three. Idk what I'm going to say when she's old enough to understand. It genuinely plagues me to think about it all. I hope if I love her and raise her the way God wants me to that I'll be enough for her. But I know she's gonna ask one day... I hope God prepares me with the right answer for her.
Load More Replies...Just when you think you're having the worst day ever, you come across something that restores your faith in humanity! Not all heroes wear capes! We need more positive role models for children these days!
I have had vitiligo for over 30 years now, having started to lose pigment in my 20s. I don't think of myself as having a "disease" though I do know that it is an autoimmune disorder, often occurring in people who already have other autoimmune disorders, like hypothyroidism or alopecia for example. I am not ashamed or embarrassed by my skin or it's odd coloration. It is what it is, and I can't change it. Everyone knows me this way, and they don't mind, so I don't either!
That's my spirit grandpa (if that's a thing) but he is talented and what hes making is very well made I love them all.
The dolls are so cute and adoreable. Love them. And the idea behind it is just wonderful. I wish there would be more people like him
I have had psoriasis since I was 8. Although different from this condition I can completely relate to this socially. This is a wonderful thing for children and a great idea. It took me a long time to accept my own condition as people generally just don’t understand it. I wish this man would post his pattern as I too crochet. I’d be happy to carry on this in Canada for children.
This is so sweet! And he has such a kind face. Gonna send this to my cousin who has vitiligo, I'm sure she'll love it <3
A very sad disease when it includes children,now to see this wonderful man spending hours and hours to make these dolls to help the children with the disease, also for children with other disabilities, such an incredible man, a hero, GOD BLESS YOU SIR !!!
What an awesome and inspiring man and he is helping so many other people with Vitiligo. I love his big beautiful heart:~)
My beautiful mother-in-law had vitiligo on her hands, arms , neck and chest. We never talked about it, but I always though her very pale hands were so beautiful.
This man is fantastic! I have never seen anything like this before and I would love to see more of it too! There are so many women that crochet and knit that could do this same thing if they wanted to. I am so proud of him and what he is doing. I just wanted to thank him from the bottom of my heart for the kindness he is showing these kids that are so special but have been made to feel otherwise by mean hearted people.
i love it! what a beautiful thing he's doing. and really, sitting on the beach with a bear, crocheting toys to make kids happy...retirement can't get much better than that <3
I loved the end picture the best because even though I don't have vitiligo, he was holding a doll with out hair, and don't have a lot of hair.
I have Chinese cresteds one is white with pink skin and black polka dots vitiligo is the same to me as my dog skin and I think my dog skin is beautiful and I think other people skin with spots is also beautiful thank you for making these dolls
"Vitiligo is a long-term skin condition" no it's not a skin condition. It's a disease that is an autoimmune disease. Please don't discredit those who have it by calling it a condition, like it can be fixed.
I've had vitiligo since I was a teenager (though I am very lucky to be light skinned enough it is invisible most of the time). Disease/condition is not a hair worth splitting.
Load More Replies...Love that Not only is he supporting children with the condition but also deconstructing the gendered ideas of hobby.
Knitting and crocheting as "women's work" is a fairly new (let's call it) concept. Just as an example: a lot of fishermen used to knit when they couldn't go to sea.
Load More Replies...Awesome, my daughter has a single spot on her leg which looks almost like a heart. We tell her God loved her so much he labeled her so he never loses sight of her. Depression runs in my family so I hope that helps her when she grows up.
That's awesome! My daughters father is a horribly violent man and she doesn't remember him Thank God! But she will ask where her daddy is and I tell her that Jesus doesn't give daddies to the kids with moms as awesome as hers is. Lol Shes only three. Idk what I'm going to say when she's old enough to understand. It genuinely plagues me to think about it all. I hope if I love her and raise her the way God wants me to that I'll be enough for her. But I know she's gonna ask one day... I hope God prepares me with the right answer for her.
Load More Replies...Just when you think you're having the worst day ever, you come across something that restores your faith in humanity! Not all heroes wear capes! We need more positive role models for children these days!
I have had vitiligo for over 30 years now, having started to lose pigment in my 20s. I don't think of myself as having a "disease" though I do know that it is an autoimmune disorder, often occurring in people who already have other autoimmune disorders, like hypothyroidism or alopecia for example. I am not ashamed or embarrassed by my skin or it's odd coloration. It is what it is, and I can't change it. Everyone knows me this way, and they don't mind, so I don't either!
That's my spirit grandpa (if that's a thing) but he is talented and what hes making is very well made I love them all.
The dolls are so cute and adoreable. Love them. And the idea behind it is just wonderful. I wish there would be more people like him
I have had psoriasis since I was 8. Although different from this condition I can completely relate to this socially. This is a wonderful thing for children and a great idea. It took me a long time to accept my own condition as people generally just don’t understand it. I wish this man would post his pattern as I too crochet. I’d be happy to carry on this in Canada for children.
This is so sweet! And he has such a kind face. Gonna send this to my cousin who has vitiligo, I'm sure she'll love it <3
A very sad disease when it includes children,now to see this wonderful man spending hours and hours to make these dolls to help the children with the disease, also for children with other disabilities, such an incredible man, a hero, GOD BLESS YOU SIR !!!
What an awesome and inspiring man and he is helping so many other people with Vitiligo. I love his big beautiful heart:~)
My beautiful mother-in-law had vitiligo on her hands, arms , neck and chest. We never talked about it, but I always though her very pale hands were so beautiful.
This man is fantastic! I have never seen anything like this before and I would love to see more of it too! There are so many women that crochet and knit that could do this same thing if they wanted to. I am so proud of him and what he is doing. I just wanted to thank him from the bottom of my heart for the kindness he is showing these kids that are so special but have been made to feel otherwise by mean hearted people.
i love it! what a beautiful thing he's doing. and really, sitting on the beach with a bear, crocheting toys to make kids happy...retirement can't get much better than that <3
I loved the end picture the best because even though I don't have vitiligo, he was holding a doll with out hair, and don't have a lot of hair.
I have Chinese cresteds one is white with pink skin and black polka dots vitiligo is the same to me as my dog skin and I think my dog skin is beautiful and I think other people skin with spots is also beautiful thank you for making these dolls
"Vitiligo is a long-term skin condition" no it's not a skin condition. It's a disease that is an autoimmune disease. Please don't discredit those who have it by calling it a condition, like it can be fixed.
I've had vitiligo since I was a teenager (though I am very lucky to be light skinned enough it is invisible most of the time). Disease/condition is not a hair worth splitting.
Load More Replies...
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