Grandfather With Vitiligo Crochets Dolls To Make Children With This Condition Feel Better

Vitiligo is a long-term skin condition in which patches of the skin lose their pigment, becoming white with sharp margins. The disorder, which affects roughly 1-3 percent of the population, is otherwise harmless physically, but it can result in psychological stress and social stigma, as well as an increased sensitivity to the sun.

More: Instagram h/t: boredpanda

64-year-old Brazilian grandfather João Stanganelli Junior lives with vitiligo, with it becoming gradually more noticeable since it first appeared in his 30s.

Having recently become semi-retired from the gastronomy industry due to unrelated health issues, João decided to take up a hobby to keep himself active and engaged. He and his wife took up crocheting, and while it was difficult at first, he soon got the hang of it.

“At first my fingers and back hurt a lot, today no more,” João told Bored Panda. I’m not yet retired, I still keep up my old work with food, but much less intensely. At the moment I spend 90% of my time with the dolls. I have many orders.”

João says that crocheting has quite an addictive allure – once you become accustomed to the rhythm (and the callouses on the fingers), it is hard to stop!