What My Polish Grandmother Had to Say About Living with Vitiligo

As the editor of Living Dappled, I’ve written hundreds of articles about vitiligo, many of them profiles of inspiring women who have found the courage to love their skin. This profile is perhaps the most meaningful one I’ll ever share—because it’s about my maternal grandmother. 

Delphine Mary Skurski—“Del” for short—was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1931 to Polish immigrant parents who owned a shoe store—and later two. She met her husband, my grandfather, at the shoe store, and later had six children and 19 grandchildren—including me. (And 12 great-grandchildren—so far.) In addition to being a full-time mom to my three aunts and three uncles, she also worked for a time as a licensed realtor and later at a bank. 

My grandmother developed vitiligo in high school—supposedly after getting hepatitis—but rarely talked about it with her children or her grandchildren. According to my mother, “It just wasn’t something we ever talked about. It just was.” Her siblings agree. In fact, there was so little conversation that they largely only knew what they observed: white patches on her skin.

“If it bothered her, she never let on,” said one of my aunts, the oldest of my grandmother’s children. “But like many other hard things in life, she wasn’t one to give a voice to it—to give it a bigger place in her life, or maybe in all our lives. Was her way of dealing with vitiligo not to give it center stage?”

My grandmother passed away peacefully in 2017, but before she did, I asked my mom to interview her during a visit. Below, you’ll find the exact interview, word for word. At that age, she was not a woman of many words, but I love the words she chose to share. It shows her resilience and can-do approach to life—including life with vitiligo. My favorite part? Her response to the question about whether vitiligo impacted her self-esteem: “Absolutely not.”

As I read through these answers, I get a glimpse into life with vitiligo during a different time—a time when few people likely knew what it was, including doctors, and one when there was likely little to no conversation about vitiligo (or personal insecurities) at all. Times have changed and vulnerability has certainly earned its place in today’s conversations. Even still, living with vitiligo still requires confidence in today’s culture—and I love to think of my grandmother as the most confident—or the most determined—woman I’ve ever known. She wasn’t going to let vitiligo get in the way of living her life. In my book, that is the ethos of ‘living dappled.’

Here’s the interview with Delphine—the original ‘dappled darling.’

Left: Erika Page with her grandparents, including Delphine. 
Right: Erika Page with her grandmother Delphine.

Living Dappled: When did you first get vitiligo?

Delphine Skurski: I was in high school.

LD: Where did the vitiligo start and how did it progress?

DS:  The vitiligo appeared around my eyes. At the time white makeup was in fashion. Unfortunately, it didn’t last very long.

Editor’s Note: This was interesting to read now because I’m currently going through the same thing with my hair—my hair is turning white because of my vitiligo and white hair is in fashion, for now.

LD: Had you ever heard of vitiligo before you got it?

DS: No.

LD: How did you feel when you found out you had vitiligo? What was your reaction?

DS: I was a very unhappy camper. One thing that helped was the fact that the tanned part of my skin faded as winter came on.

LD: Did you wear clothes specifically to cover the spots?

DS: Yes. Long sleeves and stockings were staples in my closet, and I avoided the sun like the plague.

Editor’s Note: Although my grandmother did not talk about it, my aunt remembers my grandmother wearing long-sleeve cover ups and large hats.

LD: Did you still wear bathing suits?

DS: Yes.

LD: Did people stare at you? How did you handle it?

DS: For the most part I ignored them.

LD: Did your self-esteem go down because of your vitiligo?

DS: Absolutely not. I was too proud for my own good.

Editor’s Note: This type of response is so true to my grandmother’s personality and spirit.

LD: Did you ever feel depressed because of your vitiligo?

DS: I don’t remember feeling depressed.

LD: Did you have someone to talk to about your skin and how you felt about it?

DS: No.

LD: Did you ask questions about vitiligo and what caused it?

DS: I asked doctors but they didn’t have the answer.

LD: Would people ask you questions about your vitiligo? Do people still ask questions about it?

DS: No.