Meeting the white angel

From a population of just over 20 million people in Taiwan, 2000 suffer from albinism – less than one in 20, 000. Albinism, a congenital metabolism disorder of the melanin production process, is a single gene defect in which the parents of sufferers are usually not albino. The lack of melanin means that those suffering from albinism are susceptible to sunburn and as a result are known as ‘children of the moon’. 

Currently, albinism is recognized by the Foundation for Rare Diseases, but it has still not been recognized as a rare disease by the Department of Health. The government even categorizes albinism as a visual impairment and therefore sufferers cannot enjoy the corresponding benefits. Albino sufferer Peter works as an animator for a television station, proving that although albino sufferers differ in appearance from others, in reality, they are no different. Hopefully, through a better understanding of albinism in the outside world albinos will be treated with fairness and non-discrimination in society.

Meeting the white angel

URL：https://www.peopo.org/news/322737

(以下是中文對照)

走近白天使

照片

台灣兩千多萬人口中，白化症患者約兩千人，不到兩萬分之一。白化症是一種「黑色素生成過程有缺陷的先天性代謝異常」，屬於單基因遺傳疾病，通常患者的父母並非白化症患者。由於缺乏黑色素，他們的皮膚容易被陽光灼傷，因此又稱為「月亮的孩子」。
目前，白化症已被罕見疾病基金會明文納為罕見疾病，但至今仍被衛生署排除於罕見疾病名列之外，政府甚至把白化症歸於視障患者之列，無法享有相應福利。
公民記者採訪白化症患者Peter，他擔任電視台動畫師職務，Peter證明了一件事：白化症患者雖然外貌與他人有些差別，不過能力上與其他人無異。他們真正期許的是外界能對白化症朋友有更多的了解，並擁有一個公平、無歧見的對待。