The mother-of-four is a model who has vitiligo. She first noticed a tiny spot of white skin under her arm 12-years ago and thought it was cancer. When it started to spread, she went to doctors and they told her she had a skin condition. This left her devastated and she even contemplated suicide as strangers would stare at her in the streets with some refusing to shake hands with her.
"I got vitiligo when I was twenty-five-years-old and I'll never forget it, I was devastated, I felt like my world had been shattered. My first spot was under my arm where no one could see. When I was a kid, I used to get bullied for having dark skin and now I'm two different colours, so I feared I would have to re-live that experience all over again. It was painful and devastating I even thought of taking my own life many times, but I had kids which kept me going. People used to look at my hands and not want to touch me and they didn't want to shake my hand. People stared and said very mean, disrespectful things to me and children were afraid of me," she said.
For years, Iomikoe, from Louisiana, USA, agonised about having two skin colours and tried to hide behind makeup and long sleeved clothes. It wasn't until her fiance Phillip told her that he loved her no matter what that she decided to ditch the makeup bag.
Now, Iomikoe, who has four children and two grandchildren, has fought against her demons and finally loves her body as it is. She says that despite initially being terrified of her vitiligo, she loves being different and wouldn't be able to exist without it. She said she's now a model and wants the world to see her body as art, walking human art. Seeing a photo of popular American model Winnie Harlow, who also has vitiligo, added in giving Iomikoe some measure of confidence.
Iomikoe has non-stop segmental vitiligo which has turned into universal vitiligo which will see her body turn completely white. She wants others to embrace who they are.
More photos when you continue.
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