TV reporter shares his story of vitiligo’s affect on life, career

DETROIT Lee Thomas’ skin is betraying him.

His once brown, even complexion is now mottled with pale patches around his eyes and mouth, along his nose and on his ears; his arms, shoulders and chest are speckled and blotched.

"I’m a black man turning white on television and people can see it," says Thomas, an anchor and entertainment reporter for the Fox Broadcasting Company affiliate. "If you’ve watched me over the years, you’ve seen my hands completely change from brown to white."

Lee Thomas on 20/20 Discussing Vitiligo (VIDEO)

{seyretpic id=36 align=right}Last night (Jan 4 2008), an interview with reporter Lee Thomas was aired on 20/20 where he discussed suffering with the effects of vitiligo.

The reporter talked about the reactions people had towards him; some good, some bad. But he spoke of having the courage to openly discuss something which he had continuously tried to keep secret for a long time.

Vitiligo, as discussed on the FAQ section here at MJEOL, affects millions of people. African-Americans in particular have to deal with the devastating psychological effects the non-contagious disorder brings.

Disorder turning anchor’s skin from black to white

DETROIT, Michigan (AP) — Lee Thomas’ skin is betraying him. His once brown, even complexion is now mottled with pale patches around his eyes and mouth, along his nose and on his ears; his arms, shoulders and chest are speckled and blotched. “I’m a black man turning white on television and people can see it,” says Thomas, an anchor and entertainment reporter for the local Fox Broadcasting Company affiliate. “If you’ve watched me over the years, you’ve seen my hands completely change from brown to white.”