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Inspirational Five-Year-Old With Albinism Becomes Face Of Primark's Kids Range

Inspirational Five-Year-Old With Albinism Becomes Face Of Primark's Kids Range

Elijah used to wonder why people stare at him in the street, now his confidence is through the roof.

Emma Rosemurgey

Emma Rosemurgey

A five-year-old model with albinism is being dubbed an inspiration after becoming the face of Primark's new kids range.

Elijah Enwerem from Willenhall in the West Midlands is mixed race, but has light skin and white hair as a result of the condition which affects the production of melanin.

Some people with albinism will produce less melanin, while others won't produce any at all.

Lucy Dawes

Elijah has grown up with people wondering why he doesn't look like his siblings, but when he landed his first huge campaign as the face of Primark's kids range, his confidence went through the roof.

His modelling career began shortly after his mum Lucy Dawes uploaded a snap of him to Facebook group Black Country Vegans, and was inundated with suggestions he should be a model.

Lucy Dawes

Lucy told Metro: "He was always asking why he looked different and why people would stare and point at him.

"I wanted him to understand that the reason everyone does that is because he is so remarkable.

"When he walked into Primark and saw himself on the wall, it was like mission accomplished."

Lucy Dawes

Elijah's confidence has 'grown phenomenally' since he used to hide away from people. He even has his own Instagram account and connects with people with albinism all over the world.

Despite his undoubted success, Lucy is determined to not let Elijah's modelling affect his school work or day-to-day life.

"Modelling is very London centric and we are up in the Midlands. Everything happens down there. People do it as a hobby down there and it's not like that for us," she explained.

Primark

"I have held him back to a point because I don't want him to miss school or anything important.

"You do see some kids who go all over the world but we don't want it to be like that. It can't disrupt school and our day-to-day life."

Elijah's mum revealed how at first he believed he was the only boy to have albinism, telling her "just me and the animals," explaining he'd seen albino lions and tigers.

She told Bored Panda: "I have shown him more children and adults that we have contact with on Instagram and the American model Ava Clarke - the similarities between the two of them is quite weird, they look like siblings - and a couple of UK male models called Leo Jonah and Jordan Charles."

Featured Image Credit: Primark

Topics: Life News, Real