Shilah Madison Calvert-Yin’s parents were ecstatic when she was born. This adorable young girl was the ideal addition to their family—they already had a son.
Her parents were both impressed and perplexed when her hair started to fall out and be replaced by a new, very different one after initially appearing to be just like any other youngster in the neighborhood.
According to Shilah’s mother Celeste, “She was picture perfect, blonde hair, blue eyes, so cliché.”
The girl’s parents first saw her hair growing straight rather than down when she was 3 months old. Of course, Shilah’s parents thought she was adorable and didn’t pay much attention until onlookers began ogling their daughter on the street and making remarks about her fluffy hair.
Celeste told Daily Mail, “I didn’t really think anything of it until people started making comments. It didn’t seem to calm down or settle.”
Shilah was suddenly surrounded by curious onlookers who all wanted to know what was wrong with her hair. Celeste and her husband found these remarks disturbing.
The worried mother told Love What Matters, “I’m sure they were simply being uneducated and nasty, but it was hurtful and sometimes pretty harsh.
Then there were the folks who followed us everywhere and would peep into her pram, gawk at her, and comment on her. A common remark was, “Looks like she stuck her finger in the power socket.”
They didn’t want their kid to face teasing because of her hair in any way. Shilah grew to appreciate her appearance as she matured. She often told her childcare friends that she was “magical and special” whenever they inquired about the origin of her hairstyle.
“She would say kind things like, “Just call me fuzzy. Sheila’s mother said, “Some days I appear like a lion with a crazy mane.
Sheila wishes she had hair like her pals when she was older. She once became so irate that she cut her own hair by herself.
“I was more upset than she was because she thought she was tired of having her hair stick straight up, but when she cut it short, the opposite happened and it got spikier. She’s only ever had that style of hairdo, Celeste added.
Celeste took her daughter to a number of hairdressers in an attempt to find someone who could give her a suitable hairstyle but to no avail. Even going to a salon that specialized in Afro hair was suggested, but that didn’t really help either.
“Her hair is not like African hair; it is still very soft and doesn’t need oil or a deep condition, and any heat treatment will break it,” the mother said.
Shilah even developed the ability to grin back at every comment she got as the years went by. even when she was likened to Doc Brown from Back to the Future or Albert Einstein.
The two first discovered of Sheila’s condition, the Uncombable Hair Syndrome (UHS), when Celeste took her daughter to the dentist.
The doctor described UHS as a DNA mutation that results in straw-colored or silvery hair that sticks up from the head and cannot be combed flat. On the day she discovered the reason of her daughter’s fuzzy hair, Celeste remarked, “The doctor had researched UHS but had never seen a child with the illness.
“I was stunned, moved to tears, and thrilled all at once; perhaps this was the solution to all my years of wondering. The doctor shared the same enthusiasm.
Sheila’s parents decided to create an Instagram account and inform other people with the illness once they finally understood the cause of Sheila’s unusual appearance.
“People frequently ask for help and provide pictures of their children in the hope that someone else has already discovered the solution. This is so humbling,” remarked Celeste.
Sheila is still as stunning as ever at the age of twelve.
