A young woman with vitiligo who faced criticism from her classmates has overcome the hurdles to become a well-known fashion model. However, putting her experience into words may make it appear simple, but it was far from that.
Her path to self-acceptance and love required a great deal of effort. But one day, she awoke and decided she’d had enough. Bright Side then decided to share her tale with its readers.
She new she was special at a young age.
Meet Enam Heikeens, a 30-year-old girl born in Ghana. She was about seven years old when she saw white patches growing on her arms. Enam was diagnosed with a skin condition where the immune system destroys pigment as it spreads throughout the body.
There was no one around who could help her.
Enam and her family mistook the patches for birthmarks at first, but as they spread, she became concerned. “No one in my school, hospital, or society understood what vitiligo was. It was a very trying period. At school, my peers avoided me because they felt I was contagious.”
However, she now maintains that she enjoys being in front of the camera, despite previous criticism for her appearance. Enam reveals that she learned more about vitiligo when she started nursing school. She felt more at comfortable and welcomed it after learning more about it and researched it thoroughly.
Her life wasn’t easy in so many ways.
Enam admits that she has had several issues in her love life and friendships. Everyone she dated felt humiliated to be seen with her. “If I went on dates, the guy would pick somewhere hidden,” the model said. She realized that her dates did not want to be seen with her and preferred not to run into any of their friends while they were together.
It wasn’t long before Enam was noticed by a modeling agency.
She’s now spreading awareness.
The model with vitiligo inspires others with her great picture sessions and motivating remarks in the community. “I feel that even today, not many people know what it is, I get messages all the time on social media from people asking if I have been burnt in a fire or if I am an acid attack victim,” she told me.
“People need to accept it in society,” Enam thinks.
We like Enam because, despite experiencing numerous challenges, she did not simply become enraged with the world. Instead, she works hard to help others suffering from the same disease begin to love themselves once again. “I know how awful it is to be stigmatized, and I wouldn’t want anyone to experience what I did,” the model told me. After all this time, Enam joyfully declares, “Now I love my skin, and I hope more people will accept vitiligo as well.”
Today, she is there for all the women who are struggling to embrace their physical appearance.
Enam demonstrates that no one can come between you and your career. She visits numerous educational institutions in Ghana to share her knowledge and expertise. All she wants is for everyone to appreciate their beauty and never remember the difficulties she had to endure.
