Jeremy Santa Cruz was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona. He was among very few people who were born with vitiligo. Jeremy shares some details, “When I was born, it was on my face, mid-section, knees, feet, armpits and my hands. It runs on my mom’s side of the family.”
The idea of getting used to living with vitiligo was not a problem here. It was how people treated him while growing up. Jeremy recalls, “I would have to say it was more difficult in elementary and junior high. I used to get into a lot of fights because I was the only kid with spots and was an easy target for bullies. Because I was bullied, I was shy, quiet and very introverted. People thought that I was either burned in some freak accident. Some people were even scared to ask about it.”
Jeremy was 16 years old when he was admitted to a new school and didn’t know anybody around. He broke out of his shell and decided to start afresh. “By the time I turned about 16 years old, I no longer decided to hide it. My faith in God helped a lot. Reading the book, The Secret, was a turning point for me. This book helped me learn about the law of attraction. Today, I’m always happy to answer those curious questions,” he pours his heart out.
Jeremy thinks that anybody with vitiligo is a very special person. Even though all vitiligo fighters are unique in their own right, they are connected by a common thread. He makes a point, “We all differ in shapes and sizes and come from different backgrounds, but we all have these awesome shapes over our bodies in common.” We love Jeremy’s analogy. Don’t you?
Now and then, Jeremy meets new people who tell him about creams and treatments, but he doesn’t wish to treat his vitiligo. He explains why “I love the fact that my kids as well as my fiancé like to draw on my spots and make funny characters out of them. If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely choose to have it. It’s made me who I am today. I love the fact that I’m part of a small percentage of people in the world. It’s an awesome conversation piece when I meet new people.”
We wish Jeremy all success in his future endeavor.
