HCC staffer shines on the runway and finds her beauty
Jun 21, 2017
There’s an age-old adage, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” A long-time Houston Community College (HCC) employee learned this from years of managing her skin condition called Vitiligo.
"My family became my cheerleaders and encouraged me to stay strong while dealing with Vitiligo,” recalls Dorothea Hicks, the office manager of the HCC Digital and Information Technology Center of Excellence. “Now that I have gone through it, I see it as a beautiful transformation because most people are born all brown or all white, but I get to be both.”
Hicks, who has worked for HCC for 17 years, is one of more than two million Americans who have Vitiligo. It is a skin condition, in which pigment is lost from areas of the skin, causing whitish patches. It affects people of all ages and races.
Michael Jackson became the poster child for Vitiligo. The infamous Pepsi commercial where he got burned badly was the start of Jackson’s Vitiligo. Just like in Jackson’s case, Hicks’ Vitiligo appeared later in life. It appeared when she was 19 and for many years she did not see the beauty in her skin.
Then, about five years ago, Hicks had a “light-bulb moment.” While interacting with kids, Hicks realized she had the power to help others understand more about the often-misunderstood skin condition. “Words could not hurt me unless I let them,” Hicks says. “I made the decision to live a life of educating people about Vitiligo and mentoring kids diagnosed with it.”
Hicks recently walked the runway modeling a ‘Sunday Best’ outfit, proudly strutting her stuff in the Houston Vitiligo Awareness Movement (HVAM) Style Show. All the participants live with the skin condition. “Having Vitiligo led me to modeling in a fashion show. My adolescent self would have never thought that was possible,” says Hicks.
HVAM is a brand new movement created in the heart of Houston and is currently planning more events in the area. “Our goal is to spread awareness of what Vitiligo is,” explains Hicks. “This movement is not for those of us who have Vitiligo. It’s for those who do not know what Vitiligo is or what to do with it. Many people wonder if it is contagious. It is not.”
Hicks gives thanks daily to her support system, her family and friends, who have helped her through many rough patches on the journey of life. She now lives by one mantra and hopes other will adopt it. “Don’t let your skin wear you; you wear the skin and be who you are,“ says Hicks.
Hicks has some advice for people concerned about their skin. “Of course, take good care of your skin,” she says. “But take even better care of your inner self and love you. It is what’s inside that counts and the people who matter will see it.”
For more information on the new Houston Vitiligo Movement and how to get involved, please visit: facebook.com/HoustonVitiligoAwareness.
