Lee Thomas

Lee Thomas and Vitiligo Lee Thomas who is Currently residing in Detroit; is one among those who always shines in the public eye. He is a playwright, journalist, and four-time Emmy Award-winning television broadcaster. He is working as an Anchorman and entertainment reporter for the local Fox Broad casting Company affiliates. He regularly goes to Hollywood to chat with the super stars.

Lee Thomas’s Education:

Thomas has done his B.A. in Speech Communications from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Lee Thomas & Vitiligo:

Thomas had a dream job in a dream city as a feature & entertainment reporter for the ABC networks flagship TV station in New York, But nowadays he shares the physical and mental battle, which he is waging with vitiligo which is literally turning him white’. He has first noticed this change after getting a haircut while working in Louisville at the age of 25, He looked in a mirror and thought that the barber had nicked him. But after that he discovered a few white spots on his scalp, which are now spread on his half face – He always covered his this skin fact with makeup whenever he came in front of camera.

His Vitiligo has transformed not only his skin color, but also his life. He says “Even people who have known me for years avoid eye contact when they see my face without makeup for the first time,” That’s why He uses a combination of creams and makeup to cover the growing patches of skin — which he calls devoid of color — on his face, hands and arms.
He said, “Only my family members and those who are closest to me, are familiar with this fact that I had kept secret since age 25.”
He recalls his disease history in an interview from the station’s studio, and told us that,
“I got two more on the other side of my scalp, on my hand and one in the corner of my mouth, when I went to the doctor and got diagnosed “There is no cause. There is no cure, and it’s very random,” “I could turn all the way white or mostly white.”

Thomas skin‘s complexion& Vitiligo:

Lee's Vitiligo story Thomas skin‘s brown, even complexion is now mottled with pale patches, that are around his eyes and mouth, along his nose and on his ears; his arms, shoulders and chest. These are speckled and blotched. He also has this disease effect in his eye’s retina, in tissues, in the mouth and nose.
In his one other interview he said,” If you’ve watched me over the years, you’ve seen my hands completely change from brown to white.”
He further said that,

” I’m a black man turning white on television and people can see it”.

Thomas’ fear & Vitiligo:

In the beginning when Thomas was suffered with vitiligo he frightened with it lot, he says,
“There were times when I would not come out of the house, I call it a mental war.” I thought my career was over “.
But he straggle hard for coping with it and did not let slow down his blossoming career. From Louisville, he soon landed at WABC in New York for three years beginning in 1994. After a short freelancing stint in Los Angeles, he found his way to WJBK in Detroit in 1997.
He always makeup his face to hide his skin disorder and tried his best to safe his shining career. He has always lifted up his career with his self-confidence, humorous reporting style, constant smile and his demeanor. Even now, Thomas uses makeup to conceal his skin discoloration because he realized that his skin disorder becomes more visible when he does not hide it with makeup.

Lee Thomas’s Book On Vitiligo:

Lee Thomas is now 40-year-old, his view about vitiligo is that’” not where the disorder needs to be.” He openly talks about vitiligo in his book Turning Time, In which he has mentioned through a journey titled Turning White : A Memoir of Change, that how vitiligo has affected on his life and career.
Lee’s inspiring book Turning Time has touched the heart of people from South Africa to Sacramento, through its empowering and motivational story. This book is also became a source of charity set up to provide information and emotional support for people with Vitiligo.
Thomas says in his book that, he’s met with so many people who had this disorder and they had loss their self confidence and has became less active in their social active. He says. “A lot of folks feel this disease has trapped them and kept them away from their life goals”
Dr. Sancy Leachman, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Utah, said about vitiligo that,
” It is stigmatizing, driving some to even consider suicide.”
Thomas said, Some People imagine this skin disorder, like some leprosy-type of disease, but it is quite untrue. It is very surprising that, Thomas gives vitiligo some credit, he says “Having this disease forces me to focus on what I am: kind, caring, honest, “There are people who have diseases that will kill them.”

A Message from Lee:
About the main objective of his book, Thomas says that, “I was writing for all those people who were afraid to come outside.”
“I just want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone who has supported my story. This adventure has gone way beyond anything I could have imagined. From a global internet story to ABC’s 20/20 and even Larry King Live on CNN I am overwhelmed with the amount of attention my book has gotten.
Many people have sent me well wishes and blessings and it’s your strength that motivates me.
As this adventure continues to grow I will continue to update my simple website.
Thank you doesn’t seem like enough but my heart is full with gratitude and joy.”

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