Episode 10: Andrea Thomas - Modeling The Beauty of Vitiligo

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Hello, beautiful humans.
Welcome to role models.

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Juicy conversations with
beautiful humans.

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Today's juicy conversation is
with an absolutely gorgeous

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woman, Andrea Thomas.
This woman is a true work of art

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and Ray was diagnosed at a young
age, with a unique skin type

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called Vitiligo, even though her
skin condition is considered

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very rare her journey.
And self-acceptance is so

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relatable and her story is so
empowering today.

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Andrea is a beauty and fashion
model, Paving the path in the

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beauty industry for curvy women
with Vitiligo welcome Andrea.

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Oh my God, thank you so much for
having me.

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I'm so happy to have you now you
have such a compelling story but

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first I want to help educate
everybody who's listening.

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Can you tell everyone?
What is little I go.

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Yes.
So the best way to describe

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Diddle, I do, is it basically is
your immune system attacking

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your pigment?
So your skin cells have

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melanocytes, which give you your
skin color and yeah.

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So it's an autoimmune condition
basically, because my immune

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system is just kind of
overactive and that explains

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like my loss of pigment.
How old were you when you were

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first diagnosed?
I think it took a little while

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to get the official diagnosis
and I parents were trying to

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treat eat it at home without
knowing, but it started

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happening around the age of
five.

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And so somewhere between like
five to seven, I would say I was

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officially diagnosed because at
the time, I just remember, like

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some doctors, not know it,
having a name for it.

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So like it took a while to get a
name for it because I guess it

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could also be so many other
things.

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And the way it first presented
itself was, I would fall down

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and it like cuts and scrapes and
then my skin would heal.

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But then I would kind of be
losing In that area.

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But so we didn't have those like
temporary or not and we didn't

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know what it was and it didn't
bother me too much.

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But what changed for that was?
Just, I guess being treated at a

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young age and like what that
entailed and going to the

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dermatologist regularly, like,
twice a week leaving school

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early to go, all of those did
kind of make it unintentional

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impact on me, right?
Right, so, when you would fall

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down, he would almost not know
if it was just a scar.

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Like it was just like a
Discoloration or something that

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lasted and then all of a sudden
it started to evolve Elsewhere

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on the body is that how it was
it spreads?

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Yeah then I started to notice I
was just getting like new spots

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and it would have nothing to do
with falling down and scraping

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myself.
Yeah.

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So for those who are just
listening and your has

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extraordinary skin, she's got
these extraordinary patches of

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beautiful dark pigmentation as
well as a combination in a mix

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of light, Skin tone.
And so it really creates this

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very unique patterns.
And from what I understand, they

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change your patterns evolved
over time.

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Is that right?
Yeah, that's true.

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Sometimes it's more active than
other times and it can change

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according to even like, sun
exposure, which is not

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intentional, but, you know,
you're in California.

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You're in the Sun, a lot.
So, I have to be extra cautious,

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just show you.
I have like a looks like a tiny

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little, Freckle pattern.
I see it.

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Yeah.
So this will probably cause a

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lot of change this little part.
Yeah.

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But it's like kind of temporary.
It will fade over time but it'll

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get darker first.
So it's just interesting.

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Like UV rays are like, you know,
kind of dangerous.

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So like I said this was not
intentional but I had like the

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slightest pink.
It here after I went to the

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beach one day and I was like, oh
it's probably because I didn't

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reapply enough and then I didn't
think I was there that long

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either but this will pop up it's
basically like the deeper layers

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of my skin that still have
pigment.

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This is like my original skin
coloring trying to make its way

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to the surface so it's just
interesting or so many things

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with Vitiligo that I really just
learned to be more Vigilant

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about taking care of my skin.
So it's one Good thing.

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Yeah, now from what I understand
that Ally, go only impacts like

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one to two percent of the
world's population.

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So it is incredibly rare and so
it's no wonder that a lot of

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dermatologists or other
professionals.

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Can't really tell you very much
about it because I think that

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only in the past maybe several
years has there been some more

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broad awareness built out of
what the condition is?

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What caused it, or what can
cause it to actually be

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susceptible to change and to
your It's on, you know, being

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exposed to Sun, or I think,
because it is considered an

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autoimmune situation that it
could be anything health, or

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stress related to is that right?
Yeah, that's correct.

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Yeah.
Any stress like, any trauma,

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physical?
Or emotional can cause your

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Vitiligo to spread more.
It's very difficult to treat.

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There's no cure for it.
Some people have had success

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doing different treatments which
is great.

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There's a lot of misinformation
out there.

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I know like for some people
there have been Eli go first

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presented itself from kind of
like mine.

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I told you I was falling down
and getting scrapes and cuts and

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I think that caused my body to
react that way, which it would

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have at some point in my life
even if I had never fallen down

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or fell off a bike.
So I think that's something that

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I understood later on in life.
There are some really good

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dermatologist that will be able
to explain a lot more to you.

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I feel like I've picked up like
pieces of information from

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different doctors over the
years.

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And that is just like, Piece of
living with the condition.

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Like this is, as a patient, you
know, your experience and the

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information you're given is so
important.

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I know that there's like patient
advocacy programs and even

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though Vitiligo is considered
like kind of rare, it is a

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disease that affects a lot of
people.

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People should be able to find,
you know, the care that they

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need or someone that they can
talk to about what bothers them

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the most and what they want out
of an experience at a

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dermatologists and Amazing.
Yes, I think a lot of the

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condition may be more
psychological and more emotional

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than it is actually physical.
Because as I understand there is

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no real pains like physical pain
is there.

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No, there isn't.
But it's funny you mention that

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because up until two years ago,
I realized that there is an

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aspect of pain possibly.
So just having any autoimmune

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condition can make you more
likely to get another one or

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Autoimmune condition.
So a lot of people with little,

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I go get rheumatoid arthritis or
lupus psoriasis and psoriatic

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arthritis, endometriosis, and I
was diagnosed with rheumatoid

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arthritis, two years ago.
So it's a different condition

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but related.
So I think it's also important

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for people to know like yeah I
have this what seems kind of

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cosmetic like a skin condition
but it affects me in so many

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ways and I do need to be on top
of it and I only was diagnosed

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through blood work, but specific
blood work, I requested because

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I felt that I was having
symptoms, so it's just important

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to be aware, you know, at some
point I could get this.

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Yeah, yeah.
Now, I'm curious because I know

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that you said any stress, or
trauma can cause an inflammation

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and that seems like it would be
very logical because of the fact

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that it is an autoimmune
response and so are there things

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that you do to manage stress or
to keep yourself more on the Zen

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side, To be better about it.
But if you know me, I am a

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pretty Zen person, most of the
time.

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Honestly, Vitiligo has taught me
so much about life.

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It's taught me to be very
patient.

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It's taught me to take things in
stride.

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Life can be so unpredictable.
I never knew I would have a

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diagnosis of rheumatoid
arthritis at this age and I feel

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like, yeah, I've learned a lot
of life lessons and I just try

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to treat people with Grace.
I just You know, people don't

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know what I'm going through so I
don't know what they're going

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through and yes I definitely try
to stay peaceful stays then I

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probably need to be better about
it.

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But yeah, definitely therapy
talking to friends doing

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whatever you need to do for
yourself.

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You know, because I feel like
things can just be so

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challenging out there.
And then one thing I noticed

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lately is just having my
skincare routine which is not

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related to the vitiligo.
Gives me so much confidence and

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makes me feel prepared for
almost anything.

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I'm like, at least I did my
skincare, we talked about back

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to Ritual, it's like a skincare
as self-care ritual.

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And a lot of people take that
for granted.

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And the, you know, it's like a
lot of times I'll be Leavin, you

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know, being in the skincare
industry as myself.

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I'll be like washing my face
very quickly and then, you know,

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just like slap on some
moisturizer because I'm in a

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rush and then I'm like, you know
what, this is such an

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opportunity to just really focus
on.

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And all that.
So it's nothing to beat

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ourselves up over a horse, but
it's, like, you know, this could

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be a really nice moment.
If I have a spare a couple of

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minutes, it's really doesn't
take that long, but to your

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point I could, it could actually
just be one of those little

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resets for you each day.
Yes, it's so important.

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I one time got in a fight with
my sister and but I had dug like

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10 steps of skincare that day
that I was like man I just like

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at least I did that like I'm
upset but I'm not a madam.

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Yeah, so I want to dive in a
little bit more because you said

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that, you know, it's taught you
so much about life.

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But from the point where you
were diagnosed to the point

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where you started to become
more, okay, with yourself and

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recognize, you know, this is who
I am and I embrace this, I mean,

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can you tell us what that was
like, it's just like in a

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journey like anything in life,
especially as a woman.

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I feel like going through so
many changes physically, my

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parents would like each change
of kind of Until work with it

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was just like, okay, like this
is what I got going on so how

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can I be the best version of me
and still, you know, show up and

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feel my best and it's hard
sometimes, I'm not going to lie,

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but it's just about resilience
and finding a way to focus on

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what's important just being the
best you that you can be.

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You know, a lot of people have
opinions, people have that all

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kinds of things to me.
Like there's gotta be something

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you can do, there's got to be
something you could change about

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your diet.
I've heard it all and it used to

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really affect me and make me
feel sad inside like this is

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what people think about me that
I just like don't take care of

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myself then.
That's why I have it.

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It used to affect me and I feel
like that was passed down to me

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kind of from my parents because
I think that they weren't well

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equipped to deal with it either
and I felt like people kind of

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made them feel shame a little
bit that maybe they could be

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doing more to take care of their
daughter.

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And I hope they don't feel that
way anymore because I All that

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they did everything they could
and they tried hard and I still

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had a great life growing up.
I have no complaints.

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I always had friends.
I always felt loved.

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I just think they just didn't
know really how to understand

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what I needed best did.
I want makeup?

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Did I want to continue doing
treatment?

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Did I like getting treated?
And I want to ignore it.

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We just like didn't have a lot
of talks about that you feel

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alone.
Sometimes it's getting better

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because there's like Like
Community, you can find, but I

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think that most people who go
through something like this feel

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alone, they might be the only
person that they actually know

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who has it.
So, I just think it's important

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to find your people.
I love that you just mentioned

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that because I actually have a
similar, it's quite a different

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situation, but a similar story,
in terms of parenting because I

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happen to be a mom of a disabled
boy.

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And I remember, you know, at
first feeling like I need to

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find Chance you get into that
like there's a mode as a parent

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like the fixer solution sort of
a person that comes out and it

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was only until more recently
where I recognize that me

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stressing out.
And me feeling like I needed to

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fix something, was causing my
son to feel that he needed to be

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fixed, and that he wasn't
perfect or there was something

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wrong with him.
And so that was a great lesson

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for me and one that I would
impart to other parents.

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It's like your kids are awesome,
the way that they are and

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they're perfect in their special
way and relinquished control

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relinquished, the need to fix
that feeling that, you know,

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because you're the parent, you
have to control the situation or

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protect or anything like that.
Once I recognized that, I needed

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to step back and just love and
just love my child where he is

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and how he is and not stress out
about Solutions or fixes or look

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through a record because it was
causing Me to be a crazy person,

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frankly, and that was not
helping anyone around me.

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And once I just developed that
sense of release and allowing it

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changed everything.
It just gave more open room for

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love and for it flow and just
positive energy in general.

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And so I'm hoping that any
parent that's listening.

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Might find some words of
relatability in that because it

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could be the difference between
people feeling True.

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True love and acceptance for
themselves as well as from their

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family members.
So yeah, I'm so glad that you

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brought that up now talking
about acceptance.

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I mean, you are a model now
about how did that happen?

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What was the discovery story?
It was through Instagram.

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Honestly, everything is kind of
happening over there.

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I was looking into it, I had
like kind of like waves of time

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so I'm just like Maybe I could
do it.

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Maybe I could get some photos
done, especially with how

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rapidly looks can change.
My skin can change and it's just

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something cool to document even
if I look back and I'm like, oh

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look at when I did that photo
shoot one time.

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Like that's the most I thought I
would get out of.

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It is like do some cool photos
and call it a day.

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So I was just like, digging
around a little and I like had

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found a few people on Instagram
with Vitiligo and I was really

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excited about that.
There was a few letting

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communities Instagram accounts
and so I was just like looking

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at what other people were doing.
I'm seeing all these beautiful

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pictures people were posting, it
was so inspiring and made me

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feel good.
And then I found it agency that

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I applied to.
This is like the original agency

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I signed with and I still work
with them.

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They work out a New York through
that like I've booked some

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amazing campaigns and then Danny
from natural found me and reach

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out to me on Instagram he was
new at natural actually I think

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that I'm the first model he
scouted because he was brand new

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So he really didn't have a lot
of followers and I didn't know

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who he was at first.
Saw this person's like

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commenting to go.
Check my diems, and then he was

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a legit agent.
Just looking to scout me, he's a

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gray represented.
So that's my story of how I got

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signed with natural.
And it's been a great

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relationship.
And I never imagined that I

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would be booking.
Some of the campaign's that I

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am, I thought, you know, I told
you, I just thought would be fun

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to take some pictures and then
this has been exciting to see

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the direction my career as a
model is going.

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Going and how I'm able to meet
so many people and have more

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opportunities to advocate for my
community.

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It's been amazing.
Yeah.

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I mean what do you think about
the beauty industry and the

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evolution of fashion, you know,
shapewear and body positivity?

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00:16:13,500 --> 00:16:15,400
Like what are your thoughts
about the whole shift?

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00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,500
That's happening.
I have a lot of feelings about

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00:16:18,500 --> 00:16:20,700
it.
I don't know, unlike fully

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00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:22,800
understanding everything that
goes on.

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I'm happy.
Hey, that a person like these

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00:16:25,100 --> 00:16:28,700
able to book campaigns and be
seen in the media executive that

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00:16:28,700 --> 00:16:31,400
that's important.
Talked about how I felt really

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alone that I didn't know anybody
else who had little I go.

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And I think now we're seeing
more people with Vitiligo, so

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it's not so lonely.
So it's wonderful seeing more

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00:16:40,900 --> 00:16:43,800
representation and seeing
Vitiligo and seeing all kinds of

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bodies all kinds of skin
different abilities like that's

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00:16:47,900 --> 00:16:53,600
amazing I feel for me yes I
support body positive movement

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00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,700
which is originally started by
bigger girls and I feel that we

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00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:01,400
use that term for everything.
What's been Important for me is

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00:17:01,500 --> 00:17:05,099
being neutral.
I'm neutral about my body, a

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00:17:05,099 --> 00:17:09,300
neutral about my skin.
Like I do my best and I'm not

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00:17:09,300 --> 00:17:13,700
looking to compare myself to
anybody else's body because I

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00:17:13,700 --> 00:17:16,599
think like, we just missed the
point sometimes, like our skin,

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00:17:16,700 --> 00:17:21,599
is there to protect us.
Our bodies have a purpose and I

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00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:25,700
feel that we can kind of feed
into Dart image and having the

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00:17:25,700 --> 00:17:29,700
right look for our size.
Everybody is really into

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00:17:30,100 --> 00:17:33,700
Snatched waist and I don't have
that right.

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00:17:33,700 --> 00:17:36,400
Where did that word come from?
It's like giant craters.

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00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:38,500
Like why do we call everything
snatched like?

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00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:47,300
Yeah, I think like sometimes we
take a word or we take a term

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00:17:47,300 --> 00:17:49,200
and we like run with it without
thinking too much.

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00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:51,400
So it's like yeah where it's
like I want people to feel

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00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,100
positive about their looks and
their body.

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00:17:54,100 --> 00:17:58,800
But not only if you fit within
this allowed type what's

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00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:03,400
approved by By our society so I
don't know.

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00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:07,800
So I just like to say I'm body
neutral that it got it and I

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00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,400
think that that's also extremely
extremely healthy.

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00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:14,300
So one thing that you had said,
I read a quote that you had

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00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,600
written and that is like, when
you love yourself, you learn to

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00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:20,800
live with what others view as
problems skin.

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00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,400
And so, can you say a little bit
more about that?

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00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:26,900
I feel like confidence comes
from loving yourself.

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00:18:26,900 --> 00:18:29,600
It comes from love you give
yourself.

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My grace, you give yourself room
for growth but also, you know,

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that your valuable and worthy
and other people may not feel

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00:18:37,900 --> 00:18:42,100
the same way but, you know, it
and that doesn't change based on

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00:18:42,100 --> 00:18:45,100
what you look like.
It's difficult to show up fully

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00:18:45,100 --> 00:18:47,800
feeling your best and confident
at all times.

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00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:50,100
But I think it makes a
difference for your own

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00:18:50,100 --> 00:18:52,700
well-being and also maybe other
people will change their minds

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00:18:52,700 --> 00:18:55,800
about what they were thinking.
Because I honestly know,

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00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:58,100
sometimes what people think of
me when they see me and they

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00:18:58,108 --> 00:19:01,100
just feel bad people have Asked
if they could pray for me or

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00:19:01,100 --> 00:19:04,400
they say, like, I hope you get
better, they have good

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00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,300
intentions, they have great
intentions, but it doesn't

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00:19:07,300 --> 00:19:09,400
always feel good.
I mean, it's kind of funny to me

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00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,800
now because I'm just like, okay,
like, it's not gonna get better

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00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:16,700
but thank you anyway.
It's hard to show up in this

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00:19:16,700 --> 00:19:20,600
world as yourself and for other
people to give you what you

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00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:21,900
should already feel for
yourself.

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00:19:21,900 --> 00:19:26,500
So don't rely on other people to
tell you how amazing you are.

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00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,200
You have to know it and it takes
time to come to that place

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00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,900
sometime.
There's a quote that I saw that

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00:19:31,900 --> 00:19:35,200
you had written which has, I've
always felt that being kind and

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00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,600
having a friendly personality
will make people reconsider how

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00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:41,300
they treat someone with a
physical feature that is

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00:19:41,300 --> 00:19:43,900
stigmatized.
Whoo, that one got me in the

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00:19:43,900 --> 00:19:47,800
field.
I love that statements and I

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00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:51,300
agree with you.
I think kindness is a superpower

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00:19:51,700 --> 00:19:55,800
and luckily, I find myself more
and more in circles where people

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00:19:55,800 --> 00:20:00,300
are really kind to each other
and I shun when I see See things

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00:20:00,300 --> 00:20:02,600
that don't speak.
Kindness to your point.

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00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:06,500
There is a lot of acting with
good intent and then, you know,

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00:20:06,500 --> 00:20:09,900
prayers may not be the thing
that you need to pray for World

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00:20:09,900 --> 00:20:12,800
Peace.
Pray for a great for starvation

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00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,300
to n in the world.
Pray for Wars to end.

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00:20:15,300 --> 00:20:17,100
You know, those are the things
that need Frank.

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00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:21,600
I mean, pray for me if you want
to but like now I'm embarrassed

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that he's very very sweet.
So tell us when you were growing

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00:20:27,500 --> 00:20:29,100
up, did you have any role
models?

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00:20:29,100 --> 00:20:31,900
Do you have any role?
Models now growing up.

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00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,500
Let me see.
I probably looked up to people

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00:20:35,500 --> 00:20:38,300
just who I thought were really
cool and successful, and that

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00:20:38,300 --> 00:20:41,700
was into music.
I liked like Mariah Carey.

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00:20:41,700 --> 00:20:46,300
I don't know.
You know, you grow up like you

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00:20:46,300 --> 00:20:49,700
just live in your own fantasy
world, but I will say, I thought

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00:20:49,700 --> 00:20:53,500
it was a model when I was a kid.
So maybe there was something to

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00:20:53,500 --> 00:20:57,100
that.
Yeah, you manifested your dream.

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00:20:58,300 --> 00:21:00,800
Yes.
And I feel like Now I have so

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00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:04,800
many Role Models, some people I
really look up to are younger

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00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:08,000
than me, you know, Whitney
Harlow, for example, Ashley

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00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:12,800
Graham as far as models and then
I love Oprah, my focus tell

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00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,800
people that I just think she's
so amazing and I think she's

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00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,400
such a positive person and she
brings people so much joy and

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00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:21,400
regardless like what you think
about her?

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00:21:21,500 --> 00:21:25,000
She's just a boss and her
lifestyle is like what I'm

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00:21:25,008 --> 00:21:27,800
striving for.
Like I want to be on that level,

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00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:30,900
she's neighbor with Adele who's
a The person that I really

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00:21:30,900 --> 00:21:34,100
admire and I think what they
have in common is they just seem

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00:21:34,100 --> 00:21:38,300
like they're really good people
and they found their way and

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00:21:38,300 --> 00:21:43,000
made a career and they're
talented but yeah, awesome,

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00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,900
that's awesome.
What does a day in the life of

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00:21:45,900 --> 00:21:49,900
Andrea Thomas looked like, day
of my life is pretty regular.

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00:21:50,300 --> 00:21:54,200
It's a balance, we get like a
lot of at home castings and self

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00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:56,800
tapes that we submit for
potential work.

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00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,600
So when I'm not shooting, a lot
of times I'm just doing like

387
00:21:59,700 --> 00:22:03,300
Chores around the house or I
tried to like just be ready.

388
00:22:03,300 --> 00:22:05,900
Just in case I do book work like
I need a haircut right now.

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00:22:05,900 --> 00:22:07,600
I need to like be on top of
that.

390
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,900
It's pretty chill.
I go to my appointments like

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00:22:10,900 --> 00:22:13,800
doctor appointments and I clean
like no.

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00:22:14,100 --> 00:22:17,300
And then the other part is just
kind of thinking about your

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00:22:17,300 --> 00:22:20,100
image and how you want to
present yourself and I feel like

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00:22:20,500 --> 00:22:23,000
I haven't always been good about
keeping up with fashion and

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00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:27,100
what's in style but I try to do
that a little bit just because I

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00:22:27,100 --> 00:22:29,600
do have to show up places and
present myself.

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00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:31,800
Well, I'm not coming how I
wanted comments.

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00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:36,300
What kind of a day in the life?
Is honestly pretty average and

399
00:22:36,300 --> 00:22:37,900
less.
There's a shoot than it's like

400
00:22:37,900 --> 00:22:39,900
that's the only thing that's
like a little different.

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00:22:40,700 --> 00:22:44,000
Yeah, cool.
Now, there is a special date

402
00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,400
coming up on June 25th.
Can you tell us about that?

403
00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:50,300
Yeah, so June 25th is World.
It'll I go day.

404
00:22:50,300 --> 00:22:53,400
There are lots of events.
Like, there's an official Global

405
00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:57,200
Vitiligo foundation and another
big event happening in

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00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:00,000
Minnesota.
But I just feel like Ending the

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00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:02,100
location wise, what's convenient
for you?

408
00:23:02,100 --> 00:23:04,600
I think it's great to have a
bunch of different events going

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00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:07,000
on.
Wow, thank you so much for

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00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:11,200
sharing that with us everybody.
This is Andrea Thomas.

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00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:15,600
You can find her on Instagram at
and rocks and be sure to mark

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00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:19,400
your calendar for June 25th,
which is World Vitiligo day.

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00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:21,700
Andrea.
Thank you so much for being a

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00:23:21,700 --> 00:23:23,500
beautiful human and joining us
today.

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00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:24,600
Thank you.