Young boy with a rare skin condition felt different all his life – until he met a dog who looked just like him

Every challenge feels smaller when surrounded by the right friends. An 8-year-old boy living with a rare skin condition found comfort in a dog with the same disorder. Carter Blanchard from Arkansas had developed vitiligo about three years ago and was unable to embrace his changed appearance initially. That is, until he connected with a spotty friend, Rowdy, a dog from Oregon, also suffering from the skin condition. The only distinction was that Rowdy was happy with his new look, regardless, and inspired Blanchard to do the same. 

After months of long-distance conversations, the two finally decided to meet in person. Photographer Lindsay Baca (@lindsaybaca) captured a splendid picture of Rowdy and Blanchard posing together while proudly flaunting their blotched skin in 2017. “Thanks to people's generous donations, Carter was able to come here all the way from Arkansas to meet Rowdy. It was a super special day, and it was amazing to be there to photograph them together!” she captioned the post. Rowdy has two prominent white patches on the skin around his eyes, while Carter has spots near one of his eyes and his chin. The duo looked spectacular and symbolized true companionship. 

While Blanchard lived with his family back in Arkansas, Rowdy was taken care of by his owner in Oregon. Stephanie Adcock, the child’s mother, revealed that her son did not like his appearance, which caused him to struggle with his confidence. However, meeting Rowdy in all his vitiligo glory helped change Blanchard’s perspective. "Really it was life-changing for him. It changed his childhood for the better. It was a gift I couldn't give him," Adcock told local outlet, WILX 10. His mom had reached out to Rowdy’s owner, Nikki Umbenhower, and encouraged her son to be friends with Rowdy. "It couldn't be any other person who made him feel better. It had to be Rowdy, it had to be a dog.” 

The adults made up their minds for Rowdy and Blanchard to meet. After raising money, the family flew off to Oregon for the long-awaited meetup. "I have goosebumps when I think about the moment they walked through the door. I'm actually tearing up. It's amazing," recalled Umbenhower. His mother had qualms about their first meeting and whether or not it would be successful. Fortunately, her son and Rowdy had the best time, and Adcock feels they got more than they “deserved.” Meanwhile, Blanchard simply feels Rowdy needs some more spots, preferably on his back. He loved petting the black Labrador and marked it as the best part of the meeting. 

According to Pfizer, vitiligo is a condition that causes parts of the skin to lose pigmentation. This appears as patches of lighter skin than the normal complexion of the patient. Primarily a skin condition, it can also affect hair, eyes, inner ear, and mucous membranes. It generally affects about 1% of people globally and may flare up with stress, sunburn, or chemical exposure. In extreme cases, people with vitiligo may experience hearing loss and inflammation in the eye.