We can all raise vitiligo awareness

Last Updated on 9th January 2020 by Caroline Haye

I am not known for my short blogs. This is partly because I am quite a long-winded person. (My husband often pleads with me to get to the point!). But it is mainly because vitiligo is a complex subject.  I find that it leads me down such fascinating and winding paths that I’m sure I risk losing some readers who may just be looking for quick snippets of information (or who may just need to go and get a hair cut!!)  If you fall into that latter category I apologise. And you will be pleased to know that this week I shall be brief because I want to reach as many people as possible with a very simple message and to ask you to play your part to raise vitiligo awareness globally.

A couple of days ago I received an email from Ogo Maduewesi, Founder and CEO of VITSAF, with a brilliant idea for raising #awareness. She proposed that we ask Google to mark World Vitiligo Day by featuring one of their famous Google Doodles on the day (June 25). Needless to say, this would be an incredibly powerful way of getting the word “vitiligo” in front of a huge chunk of the world’s population on one day. It would encourage people to look it up, think about it and find out what World Vitiligo Day is all about. It would be massively influential in changing perceptions and could even lead to increased funding and research and a cure sooner instead of later. Not least, it would give people with vitiligo everywhere a huge sense of encouragement and solidarity. Thanks to Guilherme Cunha for this example

I can think of no better way to spread awareness

​Roughly 1 in 100 people – men, women and children of all races and backgrounds – will develop vitiligo during their lifetime. And for many the experience is socially and psychologically devastating. I can think of no other phenomenon indiscriminately affecting this proportion of the world’s population that is so misunderstood, so under-researched, so under-funded and so under-publicised. And I can think of no better way to spread awareness about it than by getting behind this #campaign.

The beauty of it is that we can all help by doing something that will take us no more than 5 minutes. If you would like to see a World Vitiligo Day Google Doodle on June 25 please:

send an email to Ryan Germick at proposals@google.com

and/or

send a letter to:

Ryan Germick
Doodle Team Lead
Google Headquarters
1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy
Mountain View, CA 94043, USA

It can be as brief as you like… For example “Please create a Google Doodle for World Vitiligo Day on June 25. It would help raise awareness of this little-known skin condition that affects so many people around the world.” Or you can make it more personal and add your own perspective if you have time. The main thing is for us to get as many requests sent in as possible. That way, we stand a chance of success.

Judging by this video, someone already had this idea but it never came to fruition . So let’s all put our voices together and actually do-odle it!

Please like this post if you intend to send a request 🙂