In 2014, Carter Blanchard, an 8-year-old boy, was diagnosed with vitiligo by a doctor and saw whitish spots around his eyes growing larger and larger in a short period of time.
THE vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which the skin experiences an irregular loss of pigmentation, that is, a decrease in color due to the progressive destruction of melanin-producing cells called melanocytes.
As a result, Carter began to feel self-conscious about the appearance of his face and the spots appearing on his body, to the point of falling into a deep depression, losing self-confidence, and avoiding interaction with others. other people in all possible circumstances. The boy was in a lot of pain and his life was not easy for his age. So her mother started searching the internet for people who suffered from the same illness.
This is how they found Rowdy, a Labrador with the same disease: “I read that Rowdy had vitiligo and I was stunned. When I showed it to Carter, he was very excited to see that the dog was known for the same disease,” she confides, very grateful to have found a companion for her son. Carter and his mother communicated with the pet’s owner and they were able to form a deep bond. This relationship proved to be a crucial support for the boy, who overcame his depression.
They became inseparable
The young boy saw his reflection in the animal and realized that there was nothing wrong with having spots on his face, a condition that made him special. “It changed his life. It changed his childhood for the better, it was a gift he could not have received. He must have been noisy, he must have been a dog.” Today, the two friends are very close and Carter’s mother often posts photos of them playing and spending time together.
When they first met, the boy hugged Rowdy and they became inseparable. Carter’s mood improved significantly thanks to the dog, he requested to return to school after being absent due to his psychological illness, and he even joked that everything is not absolutely perfect : “It should have more spots on its back,” he explained about the animal.
Carter’s story of overcoming his illness has enthralled social media users for many years and recently racked up more than 200,000 likes on the account @animalalize. The love and affection of animals, especially dogs, are capable of changing people’s moods, and there are even several medical and psychological therapies that consider animal stimulation to contribute positively to the recovery of patients.
I’m a big fan of short stories about people – I’m a pro at tech and smartphones, serial literature, and writing in my spare time.