ORLANDO, Fla. – A Brevard County author is using a new book to help spread confidence and reduce bullying through the understanding of a skin condition.
“It is on my face. It’s very apparent and one of the first things you notice,” said Lid’ya C. Rivera.
Rivera has vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color. She’s one of millions of people living with the condition and there’s no cure.
“There are people who have it on their legs, they can wear long pants. If it’s on their arms, they can wear long shirts. It’s on my face and as a child, I didn’t really have a way to cover that,” Rivera said.
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Rivera said her childhood was a challenging time.
“The bullying, the name calling, the teasing, you know, not really feeling confident in myself, lacking the self-esteem. It was just important for me, especially now that I’m a mother as well, to be able to encourage children to love the skin that they’re in, to not be ashamed of who they are, to love them just the way they are for how they are,” Rivera said.
So she published a children’s book, “I Absolutely, Positively Love My Spots,” the main character representing a child with vitiligo.
“I wanted to target children with this book because it’s where vitiligo impacted me most and continued even into my adulthood. I think that when it comes to children, that’s where we should start, is with our youth. They’re sponges. They soak up every single thing. So why not let them soak up the good stuff? The stuff that’s going to teach them to love themselves, embrace their own individuality and just accept them for who they are. Most importantly, to promote kindness. I think that that’s a big thing, not only being kind to yourself, but also being able to be kind to others,” Rivera said.
Those are lessons Rivera wished she learned as a child. Instead, she hid her face much of her life, covering the large light-colored spots.
“I did cover up my vitiligo with makeup, hair, hats, you name it. I was covering and concealing, putting on a mask every single day,” Rivera said.
Now, the mask is off, showing a beautiful, brave and outgoing woman.
“I went through a lot to get to where I am today. This confident woman that people get to see today. This woman emerged from darkness maybe about six years ago. So in 2018, when I actually stopped covering, I stopped wearing makeup and I really just went out and said, ‘You know what? Let’s see, let’s give it a go and see what happens,’ and in doing that, it was the most liberating and freeing feeling I have ever experienced in my life. And because of that, I wanted everyone to experience it,” Rivera said.
Even as a retired Navy veteran with nearly 15 years of service and a mother of four, Rivera said publishing her book was one of her greatest accomplishments.
“It’s just so empowering. It’s so inspirational. Honestly, it really, truly is. The little girl I wish I could have been. People ask me, ‘Are you this little girl in the book?’ And I’m like, ‘I wish.’ I spoke from a place of what I hoped I could have been,” Rivera said.
The book is not only meant to empower kids and adults, but also to educate them about the skin condition. Rivera included a glossary at the end of the book with key terms related to vitiligo and their meanings. She hopes to keep the conversation going outside the pages of the book.
You can find “I Absolutely, Positively Love My Spots” at Target, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Rivera will be hosting reading and book signing events at the Colonial Plaza Barnes & Noble in Orlando on Saturday, Aug. 5, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and at the Plaza Venezia location in Orlando on Sunday, Aug. 6, from noon to 2 p.m.
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