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Phyllis A. Russell-Gilmer
Many of us have some health condition, some physical feature we would like to alter if we could. Some of these features are visible, while some are not. One person may have a severe heart condition...view moreMany of us have some health condition, some physical feature we would like to alter if we could. Some of these features are visible, while some are not. One person may have a severe heart condition, while another may suffer from brain cancer. Neither condition is visible.
Phyllis has a condition called vitiligo, which is depigmentation of the skin. From Maine to Manilla, vitiligo affects people. It does not discriminate, and it is not yet known why it affects one person and not another. It is neither contagious nor terminal, but it is very visible. Vitiligo is actually considered cosmetic by the medical community. But to those who suffer from it, it can be emotionally crippling. One’s self-esteem is affected, and those with this disease can become victims of bullies. These issues are also addressed in Phyllis’s book.
When Phyllis was diagnosed with vitiligo nearly thirty years ago, she tried various treatments to regain her skin color. None was successful, and she eventually learned to live with it and to develop a positive attitude about it. She realized that she could be much worse off! This is by no means the most devastating condition from which she could suffer. But it did make her begin to wonder what it would be like if the majority of the population had vitiligo, white spots, thus making it the norm. If almost everyone had it, those with no spots would be viewed as “different.” Would they be ridiculed or accepted by the majority? The concept for this book was born from that reflection.
Phyllis is a wife and a mother. Her greatest accomplishment has been raising two sons to be positive contributors to society. They have blessed her with four grandchildren. When she is not writing, Phyllis enjoys being outdoors. She involves herself in activities such as golf, gardening, walking her dog, and spending time with her grandchildren. Phyllis recently learned to play bridge and has become “hooked” on the card game.
She resides in Farmington Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, and may be contacted at phyllisrides@yahoo.com.view less