Despite her albinism, a Chinese girl who was abandoned by her parents at a young age owing to her albinism has gone against the odds to become a teen model.
Xueli Abbing, now 16, was handed off outside an orphanage by her parents when she was a newborn without a note explaining why.
She was taken in by the orphanage and given a name.
She was adopted at the age of three and moved to the Netherlands to live with her adoptive mother and sister.
“My mother said she could not think of a better name for me, and she thought it was important to keep a link to my Chinese roots,” Xueli told the BBC.
Xueli’s albinism is responsible for her hair and skin’s unusually pale color, as well as her skin’s heightened sensitivity to sunlight.
The Chinese government had enacted a law permitting parents to have just one child at the time of her birth; having an only child is the norm for her generation.
Her albinism, on the other hand, was far from common–and certainly not acceptable to many Chinese parents.
“Having a child with albinism was extremely unlucky,” Xueli stated. “Some children were abandoned, like me, while others were locked away or had their hair painted black if they went to school.”
Xueli began modeling when she was 11 years old, thanks to her mother’s contacts with a Hong Kong designer.
“She has a son who has a cleft lip, and she decided to design very fancy clothes for him so that people would not stare at his mouth all the time. She dubbed the campaign Perfect Imperfections and invited me to participate in her fashion show, “Xueli said, adding that modeling was a fantastic experience.
She worked with a variety of studios on picture assignments. Brock Elbank, a photographer, shared her image on Instagram, which launched her modeling career.
She told the British news source, “Zebedee Talent Modelling agency got in touch and asked if I wanted to join them in their mission to get people with disabilities represented in the fashion industry.”
In June 2019, one of her photographs was published in a Vogue Italia issue that featured Lana Del Rey on the cover.
“Looking different is a blessing, not a curse in modeling, and it gives me a platform to raise albinism awareness,” Xueli added.
Despite this, she occasionally has issues with the studio’s professional lighting.
“If it is too bright on a shoot, I will ask if I can close my eyes or if the light can be softer.” ‘ Or I will say, ‘OK, you can take three photos with my eyes open and the flash, but no more.’ “
Now, the adolescent encourages people with albinism and other impairments to believe in themselves and that if they work hard enough, they can achieve their objectives.
“I want to use modeling to raise awareness about albinism and to emphasize that it is a genetic disorder, not a curse,” she continued.
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