Being a kid can be tough, even when you have supportive friends and family. When I was a kid, everyone wanted to blend in. Standing out was not cool. Now, imagine navigating the trials of school life when one day, you wake up with a mysterious skin condition which has completely altered your appearance, quite literally overnight. That’s a lot for a kid to hack!
When I was a child, I woke up one morning looking completely different. Majority of pigmentation on my face and neck had disappeared overnight, leaving me mottled and patchy. It was terrifying. I was diagnosed with vitiligo. Vitiligo is a skin condition where the pigment producing cells stop working resulting in white patches. My spots destroyed my mental wellbeing. Suddenly, I went from blending right in to being called a ‘cow’ by kids across the school playground. People made jokes at my expense and told me I was strange. Kids were afraid to play with me, scared they might catch my spots!
Lauren’s Vitiligo as a child.
These days, people are more familiar with vitiligo thanks to public figures like Winnie Harlow. Fifteen years ago, people were quick to judge. I turned to makeup to camouflage and hide my uniqueness. For thirteen years I airbrushed on my camouflage every day. I became obsessed with hiding it and continued to cover my spots as an adult for my career in musical theatre and children’s entertainment.
There was one moment that changed my perspective and will stick with me forever. Back when I was still covering my vitiligo, I visited a primary school to perform an educational show. In the audience I spotted a child with white patches on their body, head to toe. All the kids sat up tall in rows, but no one sat next to this child. No one spoke to them, no one wanted to be near them. I could see the sadness in this child’s eyes that I knew all too well. They also had vitiligo, and there I stood with my vitiligo all covered up. I felt like a coward. Representation is important. If I had the courage to stand on stage rocking my spots, I could have shown them that they weren’t alone! At that moment I knew I had an opportunity to help kids by just being me.
My husband Anthony is also an actor. When Covid hit, we channelled our energy into creating ‘Story Surprise’. When I was a child, it was impossible to find resources and support to help me cope with my unique circumstances. I’ve now met hundreds of kids with unique stories who feel isolated and alone. I want to help change this narrative with Story Surprise. So many kids have something unique about them and that should be celebrated!
When we launched Story Surprise, I struggled to rock my spots. After covering my vitiligo for years, I was convinced no one would accept me in my own skin. This changed when Danielle Wheeler let us showcase her book ‘I’ve Got Spots – a story about vitiligo’. It gave me the push I needed to stand in front of the camera, share my story and rock my spots! The feedback was overwhelming! Parent’s as far away as India reached out to let us know that our episode made their child with vitiligo feel a little less alone. They shared our episode with their child’s class at school to help educate them about vitiligo and now, their child was feeling happier and more confident. Incredible! We’re helping kids love who they are, but equally, the experience has helped me to love myself!
Story Surprise live performance at The Clocktower for Moonee Valley City Council. 18 May 2021.
Anthony and I bring our own unique brand of silliness to Story Surprise podcast, along with music and plenty of jokes. Woven into the fun ten – twenty minute episodes are big themes for little people aged three – eight. Themes like inclusion, diversity, and uniqueness. We include stories by some favourite Aussie authors like Scott Stuart and Hazel Edwards and invite guests from different kinds of backgrounds to help us represent a range of big topics. Along with using stories like ‘Ive Got Spots’ as a vehicle to help all kids feel comfortable in their own skin, we’ve also addressed bullying, gender stereotypes and covered stories for non-binary children. Inclusion is at the heart of what we do! It’s our hope that Story Surprise leaves no child feeling left behind or left out.