"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
14 Dec 2019
Joao Stanganelli didn’t let vitiligo come in the way of living an interesting and fulfilling life. Vitiligo is a condition in which the skin loses its pigment and becomes white. The most difficult part of being affected by this skin condition is to cope with other people’s prejudice against those who suffer from this skin disorder.
Stanganelli noticed the initial signs of vitiligo when he was 38. He worked in the gastronomy industry but had to quit his job due to a heart problem. This would have been really hard on anyone, but Stanganelli decided to overcome this tough time by cultivating a hobby. He soon took a liking to crochet and with the help of his wife, he mastered the art.
Within just five days of learning crochet, Stanganelli created his first doll. He decided to make dolls for his granddaughter, but he wanted to do something special so that she remembered him. He came up with the idea of knitting a doll with vitiligo and so, Vitilinda, a pretty doll with spots and uneven skin, was born.
Vitilinda’s success motivated him to make more such dolls to restore the self-esteem of children affected by this skin condition. Gradually, his crochet works became more inclusive and he created a beautiful doll in a wheelchair that was admired and loved by many. This made his work very rewarding and Stanganelli found the goal of his life- to make crocheted dolls that would bring joy and cheer in people’s lives.
