After giving birth to albino baby girl Kachi and her brother Kamsi in 2016, Judith Nwokocha, 38, was concerned that medical officials had made a mistake. When she tells people they’re both hers, they’re generally surprised and confused, but ‘beautiful’ Kachi has never had a bad reaction. The twins ‘haven’t noticed anything odd’ about one another and get along like a house on fire. Judith tried unsuccessfully for eight years to conceive before undergoing .I.V.F. But she was in for a sʜᴏᴄᴋ when she delivered birth.
‘I was sʜᴏᴄᴋed-I believed they had given me someone else’s kid; I didn’t think she was mine,’ she explained. It never occurred to me that I would have an albino child; neither my family nor my husband’s had any. It came as a complete surprise to me, and I wondered aloud, “What are they doing, why did they give me someone else’s baby?”
At seven weeks pregnant, the photographer from Calgary, Canada, was told Kachi was behind her sibling in terms of growth and development. She was informed the twins would have Down WILL and that Kachi might not live, but she is so thankful she did.’
‘She didn’t cry immediately, so I was worried what was going to happen, how is she going to be?’ she added, recalling the moment she gave birth. But I was simply delighted she was perfect-they were both healthy, and they were causing me unnecessary stress.’
Kachi was diagnosed with Oᴄᴜʟᴏᴄᴜᴛᴀɴᴇᴏᴜs Aʟʙɪɴɪsᴍ (O.C.A) type 2, a genetic disorder in which people’s eyes, skin, and hair are affected by a lack of melanin (pigment). When both parents have the Aʟʙɪɴɪsᴍ gene, one out of every four offspring has a ʀɪsᴋ of being affected. Judith was first ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇʜᴇɴsɪᴠᴇ about how others might respond to her daughter’s ɪʟʟɴᴇss.
She’s from Nigeria, and she says that sᴜᴘᴇʀsᴛɪᴛɪᴏɴs surrounding albinos in her own country fʀɪɢʜᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ her, but that going to counseling to learn how to care for her was a huge help. Apart from needing to see an eye expert every six months and having skin that is more susceptible to sunʙᴜʀɴ, Kachi is in great health.
When she walks down the street with her mother, she attracts a few stares, but Judith seems unfazed. Judith said, ‘Most people don’t believe they’re twins-also it’s because of their hair texture.’ “Where are her parents?” someone inquired. When I tell them I’m her mother, I can see the look of surprise on their faces.’
‘It took me a long time to realize I’m going to be parenting an albino,’ she continued. I was worried about what others would think because having an albino and a black baby isn’t very common. I was also sad and anxious about how she would fit into society and how people would treat her.
Of course, it had no effect on my passion or love. People who are visible persons are mistreated where I came from, thus I am happy to reside in a western nation. She looks just like myself, except for the fact that she is a different color.’
