I have to admit, I have put off talking about any possible “faults” Noah (our perfect child) might have. No parent wants to open his/her eyes to something that might later force our children to shun society and lead them to cave dwelling for eternity, but Kate and I have finally chosen to speak out. We think people should no longer have prejudice against a person with a “skunk mark” in their hair. Noah, the boy we have recently grown to love and adore has such a marking, and while some can lead productive lives with such “deformities”, we have yet to tell Noah about this white streak in his hair.
Our close friend Mark Williams has chosen to reach out to young Noah. Mark knows first hand the trials and tribulations that can come from follicle discoloration. He has grown to be a productive member of society. He was even able to marry (his wife Sara is an amazing person) and later was able to reproduce a son, Eli, who is stunning. Kate and I want to thank Mark for the support and advice in the coming days as Noah become aware of the adversity he will need to overcome.
Bless you Mark, and God bless Noah.
September 9th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
September 10th, 2008 at 1:14 am
AAAAHHHHHHHH my little man…. we are two of kind now aren’t we?? didn’t your daddy tell you?? an angel has kissed you on the head + that’s why your hair is as pure as the driven snow. never mind daddy’s sarcasm… me and you kid- we’re stickin together! I got your back- if there is anything, ANYTHING you need…. uncle mark is there for you. my life has truly been blessed + I wish that you have the same luck- if not BETTER!! my friends and family are the BEST!!! you’ll see…. we got lots of time comin!!!
can’t wait for camping trips… snowboarding trips!!! ALL THAT!!! you, Julien and Eli are gonna be pals…. dang. how bout that.
September 20th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
That is the coolest! Love it!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Kreg, a beautiful little boy! Love your blog.
I have lived with a large white skunk mark on the front of my head and hated it all my life because people thought that I dyed it. Now that I am in my dotage, it doesn’t bother me because now people think that my hair is turning white.
Could this be hereditary? After all, I am your great aunt. Your cousin Karen Couture also has a son with a skunk mark. None of my children or grands have the mark. How strange is that?….Aunt Arlene
December 10th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I forgot that you also share this trait with Noah. Maybe you can convey to him how special this streak is?
I did a little research on whether this could be hereditary or not, and I came upon this near medical explanation from a reliable source (a hair dresser from NJ posting anonymously on a message board dedicated to keeping alive the memory of LeRoi Moore, the saxophonist best know as a founding member of Dave Matthews Band) –
“when birthmarks are on the head, there in no melanin (pigment) in the hair. this means because of the lack of melanin (which is essential in coloring hair ..the color needs something that’s already there to latch on to) it is impossible to color over it..strange, huh?”
December 10th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Many years ago I was told by my hair dresser that color wouldn’t latch on. I forgot to tell you that I had a cousin who had a spot also but not as white as mine. His was like Karen’s son. Sort of blonde. Noak’s looks white like mine. My science teacher in high school said it was hereditary. Luckily, I was blonde, so it didn’t look like I was related to a skunk. My doctor called it “piebald”. Like spots on a horse..HAHA. Better a horse than a skunk.
Good luck with that wonderful baby and hope your first Christmas together is a treasure.