Brazilian Grandpa Makes Dolls With Vitiligo

João Stanganelli Junior is a 64-year-old grandfather with vitiligo, a skin condition in which patches of the skin lose their pigment, becoming white with sharp margins. To keep himself busy, the semi-retired Brazilian grandpa, took up crocheting and started making dolls to make children with this condition feel better.

“My view of vitiligo seems to me to be very different from the general, I think it is necessary first that you have vitiligo, after this acceptance you choose what you want to do,” Stanganelli told Bored Panda. “I still quote Benjamin Disraeli: ‘Life is too short to be small.’”

He made his first doll for his granddaughter, so she could have something to always remember him by. Recently, he began making other inclusive dolls, like a doll in a wheelchair. His goal is to help children feel ‘normal’.

If you are interested to see Stanganelli’s dolls, have a look at his Instagram or Facebook pages.