Edith Garcia and her husband Raul from California were surprised but delighted when they found out they were expecting another baby back in 2013.
They already had one gorgeous baby girl Mariah and were excited to welcome another little one into the world. But she and husband Raul had no idea they were both ᴄᴀʀʀɪᴇʀsof the ᴀʟʙɪɴɪsᴍ ɢᴇɴᴇ, and at first were astounded by their daughter’s appearance. ᴀʟʙɪɴɪsᴍ ɢᴇɴᴇ being ʀᴇᴄᴇssɪᴠᴇ means that people can carry it without being affected themselves and therefore, could even never find out. The condition is ᴄaused by a ɢᴇɴᴇ that causes ʟᴀᴄᴋ of ᴘɪɢᴍᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ in ᴏɴᴇ’seyes, hair and skin.
‘What’s happening? Is anyone seeing this?!’ My baby was white: Mom unexpectedly births beautiful ‘ᴀʟʙɪɴᴏ princess’
Tatiana Bella Garcia was born June 12th. Weighing in at a whopping 9.3lbs and measuring 20 inches long. And comes what appears to be this ᴡhite, blonde baby! Tatiana’s ᴀʟʙɪɴɪsᴍ means that she has little to no pigmentation which has left her with white hair and fair skin.
Due to her condition, Tatiana has a lack of pigmentation in her eyes, which means she has poor vision and a low depth perception. She has ɴʏsᴛᴀɢᴍᴜs, ɪɴᴠᴏʟᴜɴᴛᴀʀʏ eye movement, and photophobia, which is light and glare sᴇɴsɪᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ.
Garcia said:” I think every time she tries to do something for the first time is pretty special to see. When she was two-and-a-half years old she was climbing at an indoor playground, using her strength to ʟɪFᴛ herself up. At that point it wasn’t about her vision, it was about her own determination. She was going to keep up with her big sister Mariah and the other kids around her. She has always been a determined child.”
Garcia said :” When Tatiana was born, all I could see was this very fair skinned baby girl with really blonde hair – I didn’t know what to think. For a split second, I looked over to my husband and wondered what he did but clearly, it doesn’t work that way. So naturally, I questioned my own decisions. Personally, I find it funny because I know neither of us would have done such a thing but when you look at a blonde baby that comes out of a brown Mexican American mother, you wonder, even if it’s yourself.”
She said that:” I believe everything happens for a reason so being a mama to a little girl with ᴀʟʙɪɴɪsᴍ has always been Gᴏᴅ’s plan. I think it’s cute that she feels beautiful and knows how sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ she is but it is more important that she knows her inner beauty.”
For the most part everyone is ɢᴇɴᴜɪɴᴇʟʏ sʜᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ and fascinated by her hair color. She said: “But once in a while I get the very ᴊᴜᴅɢᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ʟᴏᴏᴋs and the sɴᴀʀᴋʏ questions, but it doesn’t really bother me. I immediately started research with ᴀʟʙɪɴɪsᴍ.Tatiana was so sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ and unique. When Tatiana was 3 months old, I contacted Tʀɪ Cᴏᴜɴᴛɪᴇs for early ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴠᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ services, and she started services about 2-3 months later. The amount of love and support pouring in was so amazing, I was able to find a page for moms with babies with ᴀʟʙɪɴɪsᴍ. She is a healthy, confident three-year-old girl that we love so dearly. She keeps us on our toes, that is for sure. You never know what kind of adventures Tatiana will take us on.”
