Mom Holly Dunlea revealed she was initially ‘ᴅᴇᴠᴀsᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ’ when she learned her newborn girlᴅᴇᴠᴀsᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ. Holly Dunlea, from Cork, Ireland, gave birth to Ellie Jestin last October, but it ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ until 12 weeks later that she was ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsᴇᴅ with the ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ. Holly, 21, who Fᴇʟʟ ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ ᴜɴᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅʟʏ, says the ᴍɪᴅᴡɪFᴇ told her she was ‘ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴀ ʙʟᴏɴᴅᴇ ʙᴀʙʏ’, but then quickly said ‘actually, it’s ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏF ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ’.
Initially ᴀʟʙɪɴɪsᴍ was ʀᴜʟᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ, as Ellie’s dad, Ronan, was fair. Hollie said: “But the day we were going home, they said it was very possible considering Ellie had ɴᴏ ᴘɪɢᴍᴇɴᴛ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴇʏᴇs. Basically they were translucent. On her chart, her ᴇʏᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏᴜʀ was sᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ ‘ʜᴏɴᴇʏ’.” Hollie soon realised Ellie ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ ʜɪᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴠɪsᴜᴀʟ ᴍɪʟᴇsᴛᴏɴᴇs, and was still ᴜɴᴀʙʟᴇ to see sʜᴀᴅᴏᴡs at six weeks old. Then when Ellie was three months old, Hollie received the official ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsɪs from ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs, Oᴄᴜʟᴏᴄᴜᴛᴀɴᴇᴏᴜs Aʟʙɪɴɪsᴍ. She said: “As we’re being honest here, I was ᴅᴇᴠᴀsᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ!” Ellie’s ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ means she may be ᴄʟᴀssᴇᴅ ᴀs ʟᴇɢᴀʟʟʏ ʙʟɪɴᴅ when she’s ᴏʟᴅᴇʀ, and will need to ᴡᴇᴀʀ ɢʟᴀssᴇs and may ᴜsᴇ ᴀ ᴄᴀɴᴇ, as well as needing to sᴜɴsᴄʀᴇᴇɴ daily.
Holly ᴍᴏᴜʀɴᴇᴅ the ‘ᴘᴇʀFᴇᴄᴛ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ’. Whether it be your first child or your fifth, we all want nothing more than our babies to be happy and healthy. To think of any harm or difficulties coming their way would ᴋɪʟʟ any mom. She know there is so much ᴡᴏʀsᴇ out there. But this, for her, was ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ to hear. Soon after the birth, Hollie noticed that she was starting to hide her daughters ᴀʟʙɪɴɪsᴍ the same as her pregnancy. She said: “I ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ want people to now ʟᴏᴏᴋ at her as ‘ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʟʙɪɴᴏ’. I just wanted people to sᴇᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴀs ‘ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀʙʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ ʜᴀɪʀ’. I think these days, when there is a name for something, people instantly think that they’re sɪᴄᴋ or they ᴡᴏɴ’ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ‘ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ’ ʟɪFᴇ.
Why am I making it out to be a ʙɪɢ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ when it’s most definitely not? Yes Ellie’sᴇʏᴇsɪɢʜᴛ is ɴᴏᴛ as sᴛʀᴏɴɢ as other babies her age but she can see ME so what’s ᴡʀᴏɴɢ? Ellie has to ᴡᴇᴀʀ sᴜɴ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴍ everyday but we all should? Yes glasses ᴡᴏɴ’ᴛ ‘make Ellie see’ but the tint helps to take off the glare and her sunglasses are the coolest. Ellie has ɴᴏ ᴘɪɢᴍᴇɴᴛ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴀɪʀ, sᴋɪɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇʏᴇs but how GORGEOUS is she!!!! She deserves to be known all over for how ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴅɪʙʟᴇ, beautiful and unique she is. I am now stronger than I have ever been and I am ready to ᴛᴀᴄᴋʟᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟɪFᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴡs at Ellie and our family.”
The new mum now loves her daughter’s striking white locks, and say she receives compliments from people. She is also trying to ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛs from sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀs ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴏɴᴇs. The new mum is now planning on running a mini marathon for ᴀ ᴄʜᴀʀɪᴛʏ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ʜᴇʟᴘs sɪɢʜᴛ ʟᴏss ɪɴ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ, and has set up a fundraising page.
