MY SPOTS ARE A GIFT
Lauren is nally ready to show her true self to the world.
Peering into the mirror, I’d spent an hour applying make-up before going to school.
I was 14 and had been recently diagnosed with vitiligo – a skin condition where the pigment producing cells stop working, resulting in white patches.
My patches were on my neck, face and arms, and there was no cure.
‘You look like a cow,’ classmates teased me.
Sometimes they called me a zebra or asked me if I was contagious.
The doctor had recommended UVB light therapy treatment, but it hadn’t helped, so I started wearing specialist make-up to disguise the spots.
Over time, it took a huge toll on my mental state as I felt I was hiding my true self. I’d often break down, inconsolable.
‘We love you no matter what,’ my mum, Bianca, then 45, said.
I loved performing, so once I nished school I studied commercial dance and musical theatre at uni.
Working on a musical in 2011, I met my now husband, Anthony, then
22, and we fell in love.
‘You’re pretty special to be so unique,’ he said to me.
Four years later, at a primary school while touring a children’s show, I noticed a little boy in the audience who had vitiligo over his entire body. He was sitting alone.
‘I’m such a coward,’ I said to Anthony that night. ‘If I’d been brave enough to go up on that stage comfortable in my own skin, that little boy would have seen me and felt less alone.’
‘Take your time,’ he said. ‘You can go make-up free whenever you’re ready.’
Still, I was afraid I’d be rejected by other people in my industry.
Then when the pandemic hit, Anthony and I lost all our work.
So we started a YouTube channel and podcast for children that we called Story Surprise.
During one episode, we worked with Danielle Wheeler who’d written a children’s book about her experience with vitiligo called I’ve Got Spots.
That morning, I worked up the courage to go make-up free.
‘Now the world can see how beautiful you really are,’ Anthony reassured me.
We got messages from parents of kids with visible and invisible conditions from all over the world.
My daughter watched your video and it helped her con dence, a mum wrote about her girl, who had a skin condition.
I was overjoyed that I’d helped another child feel less alone.
From that moment on, I stopped covering my vitiligo and began addressing other more serious issues, such as bullying, on our shows.
‘We’re so happy for you,’ Mum said. ‘You nally can be yourself.’
Nine months on, I’ve since been cast in the musical Cinderella, which will tour the country.
For the rst time ever,
I’ll be rocking my spots on stage to help raise awareness.
I’ve nally learnt to embrace my uniqueness as a gift. ●
‘You’re pretty special to be so unique’