God’s children are all beautiful and equally blessed. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t individuals who stand out from the crowd.
Because of the color of his eyes, a young Ethiopian child attracts a lot of attention and captures the imagination of the world. Abushe, from Jinka in southern Ethiopia, was born with Wardenburg Syndrome, a rare genetic disease characterized by varying degrees of deafness, mild structural defects caused by the nerve ridge, and various pigmentation issues (changes in skin, eyes, or hair).
In fact, the syndrome is so uncommon that it affects only one in every 40,000 people.
When Abushe’s parents first saw his eyes, they made sure he was blind, according to sources. However, due to financial constraints, they were unable to diagnose or treat him.
His mother and father later realized that what Abushe possessed was a gift from God.
Abushe is eight years old and lives in southern Ethiopia. I met him in front of a bank. His blue eyes were breathtaking. I returned the next day to learn more about this kid. His mother works on a farm 30 kilometers away, and his father is deceased. He used to live in his grandmother’s house, but a fire broke out last week, and he lost all of his school books and his blanquet. Because his grandmother’s house is too far away from the school, he lives in a very small room in a metal house with no windows and is full of dirt, where he sleeps with a friend. At the age of eight. He is unable to attend school because his books have burned. His blue eyes enabled him to meet foreigners who cared for him on this day, but so many children with black eyes are also living this incredible life…
In 2016, French photographer Eric Lafforgue met Abushe, who was living with his grandparents in a bamboo and wood hut. Unfortunately, a fire broke out and destroyed their home, leaving Abushe with a scar on his forehead.
He did, however, save one thing from the flames: a red soccer ball that became his entire world. Abushe’s ambition is to become a professional footballer, and he will stop at nothing to achieve that goal.
Unfortunately, Abushe became the victim of bullying by other children who don’t understand why his eyes look like this. The child is referred to by nicknames as ‘plastic eyes’ and ‘monster’ when others physically harm him.
And yet, he certainly made headlines in the world and is not forgotten. Photographer Eric Lafforgue shared a photo of Abushe from February 2019 and wrote: «No one would have noticed Abushe, but if you look into his eyes, their amazing color will stop you in place».
The photo received more than 6,000 likes on Instagram, with commenters reporting that Abushe is a beautiful child.
We think Abushe’s eyes are a real gift! Look how beautiful they are.
