The smile of a six-year-old blue-eyed Filipino kid ‘Kulot’ is making a buzz after an activist posted his picture on social media.
Social activist Nico Antipala met “Kulot” when his group was distributing relief materials to those affected by the storm in Hinundayan, Southern Leyte.
“His attention was sparked by a kind of glow a child had,” a social media post highlighted.
Kulot’s beautiful blue eyes, however, are not normal. He is suffering from Waardenburg syndrome.
According to the Philippine Society of Pediatric Ophthalmology And Strabismus, the estimated prevalence of Waardenburg syndrome is one in 42,000.
Waardenburg syndrome is a group of rare genetic conditions characterized by at least some degree of congenital hearing loss and pigmentation deficiencies, which can include bright blue eyes (or one blue eye and one brown eye), a white forelock or patches of light skin.
A few specialists in Tacloban City have offered free consultations to Kulot. Nico’s group, meanwhile, is collecting funds to help the ‘blue-eyed boy’ meet other expenses.
