The narrative of Xueli Abbing is both sad and happy. It teaches us that where we were born doesn’t influence how beautiful, valuable, or useful we are. Xueli was born in China with albinism and was left at the door of an orphanage when she was a baby. Her parents left her because they thought she looked too “different” from other people.
Her life might have been quite bad. In certain societies, myths and beliefs make kids with albinism seem like they are cursed or have special talents. Because of this, people often have to face with shame, prejudice, and even violence. Some people hunt down kids with albinism to get their bones because they think they can heal. Xueli thought being alive was a gift. Later, she thought, “I’m glad I was alone.”
A Name That Means Something
The people who worked at the orphanage named her Xueli. It wasn’t a normal choice. “Xue” means “as white as snow” in Chinese, while “Li” means “beautiful.” The name together sent a message of strength and hope: beauty that was as white as snow. Even though she was turned down, she was given an identity that showed how wonderful she was.
People with albinism have a hereditary trait that makes their hair, skin, and eyes produce less melanin. This not only changes how you look, but it can also make you more sensitive to sunlight and make it hard to see. Every day is a fight against prejudice and ignorance for many people with albinism. Xueli’s path, on the other hand, will prove that being different may also make you stronger.
A Fresh Start in the Netherlands
A kind Dutch family took Xueli in, and her life altered a lot. They took good care of her and made sure she received the love and support she needed as a child. She discovered a family that loved her for who she was, not who she wanted to be.
When she was 11, something else happened that transformed her life. A Hong Kong designer asked her to be in a picture shoot that was meant to show off “perfect imperfections.” During the session, which was about how different kinds of beauty are great, Xueli was asked to model clothes. For a girl who had been left behind because of how she looked, walking down that runway was the start of a fantastic adventure. She told the BBC, “It was a great time.”
Getting into the fashion world
People often say that the fashion business has strict standards of beauty, yet Xueli was part of a slow but essential change. A photographer in London saw her potential and took her under his wing. He made sure she was treated with the respect that all models should get. Because they worked together, something incredible happened: Xueli was in Vogue Italia in June 2019.
She said, “I didn’t know how important the magazine was back then.” “I didn’t get why people were so happy for a while.” It wasn’t just a personal accomplishment for her to be in one of the most prominent fashion magazines in the world. It was also a message that there are various ways to look good.
There are more models in the media these days who are not the same. These differences can be physical difficulties, diseases like vitiligo, or features that are passed down from one generation to the next, like albinism. The rise is wonderful for Xueli, but not nearly enough. There are still models that are eight feet tall and thin, but news stories now focus more on people who are different or have disabilities. This is amazing, but it should happen all the time.
Finding Beauty Within
Xueli’s albinism has made her vision impaired, which has changed how she sees other people. She went on, “Maybe I pay more attention to what people say and how they say it because I can’t see everything clearly.” “So what matters most to me is their inner beauty.”
Her comment is about a bigger truth: people miss the real person when they judge them by how they look. Xueli believes that modeling is more than simply a way to show off clothes. It’s also a way to change people’s minds and combat hate.
Goal and Help
Now that Xueli is 16, she wants to tell people about albinism. She tells people to stop calling people with albinism “albino” and start calling them “a person with albinism.” This way, their diagnosis isn’t the only thing that defines them. She wants everyone to know that albinism is a hereditary disorder, not a curse or something else strange.
The most important thing is that she wants to get away of the horrible stigma that still remains in some parts of the world. She said, “I don’t agree with the idea that albino kids are being killed.” “I want to make the world a better place.”
She is brave in many areas of her life, not only when she walks down the runway. By telling her experience, she is changing what it means to be beautiful. She is also making sure that kids with albinism don’t have to worry about getting hurt or being left out.
A Bright Future
Xueli Abbing’s journey from the stairs of an orphanage in China to the glossy pages of Vogue illustrates how strong love and accepting differences can be. Her journey demonstrates that what was once considered “weird” may, with time and with bravery, motivate millions.
People used to make fun of the girl for how she appeared, but now she is a symbol of beauty and hope all around the world. And this is only the start for her.
We wish Xueli all the best as she goes out on her own. Her narrative isn’t only about what she did; it’s also about getting people to recognize beauty where they haven’t looked in a long time.