00:00We are identical twins born with albinism and the chances of that is 1 in 2 million.
00:06We are considered visually impaired. Our skin is super sensitive.
00:10When we were born, people accused our mother of cheating because our skin didn't look like hers.
00:16Sometimes it can feel like we're in a zoo and people were just coming by to stare at us.
00:22Today, I'm going on a blind date and I'm curious to see how he reacts to my condition.
00:27I just don't go on a lot of dates because I have anxiety about what they're going to say about me.
00:33Have you ever been or came across anybody with albinism?
00:38Wait, where's the bacon?
00:40Are you going to do the rest of the work while I just...
00:42Get the pan.
00:43Oh, I got to get the pan.
00:47It's horrible for sound. I'm so sorry.
00:49Okay, what else?
00:51Albinism is the lack of pigment or melanin in your eyes, skin, or hair.
00:57Our skin is super sensitive. We try to wear as much protective clothing as we can.
01:03That's not true, but we're supposed to.
01:05Five-year-olds, who wants to cover up?
01:07Right, right. As a 25-year-old, who doesn't want to show a little skin, you know?
01:11Just a little bit.
01:12We are considered visually impaired.
01:14To read things or to view things like pictures or something that has a lot of detail, we would have to get close up to look at it.
01:22As far as the numbers on the stove, we have to lean and look.
01:26And as you can see, Kayla made a mark at the 350.
01:30I mean, we get by pretty good.
01:32We? I get us by pretty good.
01:36I think it really helped us both out when we were growing up that we were in the same situation and dealing with the same things.
01:44If one of us was having a bad day, we'd tell each other, like, I know what you're going through, and I got through it, so you can get through it too.
01:52Exactly.
01:53I don't have to explain anything to her when I do something that requires me to look at things a little closer or do things differently.
02:02Oh, is that Mom?
02:04I think it is.
02:05Hi, Mom. How are you, honey?
02:09Hi, Mom.
02:10Our mom didn't know that we had albinism until after we were born.
02:14We didn't look like our family, so some people have questions.
02:19They thought our mother cheated on my father.
02:22The first assumption that people made when Megan and Kayla were born was they were of another race, they were not his kids, you know, of course.
02:31The fact that our mother had to deal with that judgment when we were born, she had to learn, like, on the spot, like, right then and there.
02:40You know, doctors came into the room and, you know, they explained everything to me.
02:43The more education I got on it, it's like now I've got, like, this big responsibility, and I didn't know if I was going to be able to do it.
02:49Were you concerned about how they might be treated at school?
02:52I was very concerned.
02:54Well, kids can be mean.
02:56They used to call us white or we were adopted.
03:00Our parents weren't our parents, or someone might copy how we do things, like reading.
03:07We had to hold it closer sometimes because of our vision so that they would make fun of that.
03:13One of the things we started doing so I could try to encourage them is, like, when they would leave out in the morning, like, I'm strong, I'm, you know, smart.
03:21Mom imparting into us that we are all so beautiful and we're all so strong and we can do anything that we set our minds to.
03:29I feel like kept us afloat many a days.
03:32We have a little something planned today.
03:35Yeah.
03:36But we're going to wait a little bit to tell you.
03:39We're going to let it be a surprise.
03:40Yeah.
03:41I like surprises, but this sounds suspicious.
03:43Oh, my gosh.
03:45Okay.
03:46I started posting on TikTok a few months ago seriously.
03:49We thought this would be a good way to have fun and maybe educate people on our condition.
03:56The responses to our content, most of it, like 98% of it has been super positive, but there's always that 2% where people leave mean comments.
04:08Oh, one of the comments asked if we had eyeballs.
04:11That was fun.
04:12Yeah.
04:13I giggled so hard.
04:14That was fun.
04:15It's because of our light sensitivity.
04:17That's all.
04:18We have to squint sometimes.
04:19I promise we have eyeballs.
04:21They're there, people.
04:2398% of those people just want to feel educated and just want to know a little bit about ourselves.
04:30Our future just looks like us educating in a fun way.
04:35I have absolutely no idea what I want to wear, so let's get started.
04:40Okay.
04:41Today, I'm going on a blind date, and I'm curious to see how he reacts to my condition.
04:47My condition kind of has had some hand in how I date, especially with meeting new people.
04:54You have to tell about your albinism and to go into new places where you have to figure out and find where everything is.
05:01Sometimes with me, I just cut out the middleman, and I don't go out at all.
05:06Let me see.
05:07Okay, bright orange.
05:09What do you think?
05:10Okay, yes.
05:11What do you think?
05:12That against your skin would be so pretty.
05:15I just don't go on a lot of dates because I have anxiety about what they're going to say about me.
05:21Ta-da!
05:23Makayla is going on a date!
05:26Okay, Makayla.
05:28So that's what the surprise was.
05:30My baby's going on a date.
05:32Mom, please stop.
05:33Sometimes out in public, it can feel like we're in a zoo, and people were just coming by to stare at us.
05:41For the most part, we ignore them, and since we're visually impaired, we don't see them staring at us anyway.
05:51For the most part.
05:52It is kind of hard dating because I do have a disability with my visual impairment.
05:56I just feel anxious.
05:58Hello.
05:59How are you doing?
06:00I'm Kimar.
06:01I'm Makayla.
06:02I'm Makayla.
06:03Nice to meet you.
06:04Nice to meet you, too.
06:06How are you feeling today, meeting me for the first time?
06:09I would say I'm more excited than nervous.
06:11What do you like to do?
06:13A lot of things, but I'm more into social events like outdoors, movies, stuff like that.
06:19How about you?
06:21Well, I stay inside.
06:24Your home body.
06:28She's so cute.
06:29This is a little different experience for me, but hey, we're here, right?
06:33So I'm intrigued to learn more.
06:35To have a partner who understands me would mean so much to me.
06:40Often, I do get misunderstood for my albinism.
06:44So could you tell that I have albinism?
06:47Have you ever been or came across anybody with albinism?
06:52This is actually the first time I'm hearing about it.
06:54Do you want to share with me a little bit more?
06:56I don't know if you can tell, but I am black, but I have zero melanin.
07:02I'm pushed a lot by others, but I feel like when I grew up and started to become my own person,
07:11it didn't bother me as much.
07:13Well, I think you're beautiful. I mean, you still are.
07:15And getting to know you better and learning more about some of the differences,
07:19I'm more intrigued to get to know you better.
07:21So, I have something to tell you.
07:27Well, hello.
07:28How are you guys doing? Nice to meet you. I'm Kimar.
07:30Hi, I'm Megan.
07:32Oh, hey, Megan. Nice to meet you too.
07:34This is my mother.
07:35Oh, hey, mother. Two beautiful daughters.
07:37See where it's coming from, mom.
07:40Dayle was great, man. She's beautiful.
07:42So, I'm looking forward to learn more about her and see where we get out of this experience.
07:47I want to show people with albinism that, like, it's possible and they will get through it.
07:54We did have a lot in common.
07:56He had a nice smile. I really liked that.
07:58He seemed really nice. I think we could be good friends.
08:01Really proud of them for going out to do something like this.
08:04Because they're, I feel like, introverts.
08:07So, for them stepping out to be able to do something like this, it's great.
08:12I love to see it.
08:13We're out here, we're loud, and we're proud.
08:16And we don't care who knows, you know.
08:19So, and that's how we live our lives.
08:21And I think it's important to show that.
08:28For more information, visit www.FEMA.gov
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