White-skinned, blue-eyed baby born to black couple

by Mark Bennett

December 29, 2021

White-skinned, blue-eyed baby born to black couple
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Understanding human genetics is no easy matter, and genes follow strict scientific and biological rules which are very difficult to bypass or override. If two parents have the same skin color, it is safe to assume that they belong to the same ethnic group - and any children they might have would be expected to have the same skin color as its mom and dad. However, if the dad (or the mom) have a different or lighter skin color to their dark-skinneed partner, their child would be expected to inherit a blend of these physical characteristics from its parents - resulting in a medium-dark or light-skinned child.

via New York Post

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Ben Ihegboro/Facebook

Ben Ihegboro/Facebook

The unbelievable story we are about to tell you about happened in 2010 to a Nigerian couple. The couple gave birth to a white child with very prominent blue eyes - practically, a miracle of genetics. In 2010, Angela and Ben Ihegboro, a Nigerian couple living in London, were anxiously expecting their third child, and this time it would be a particularly special event because after two boys, the couple had been blessed with a little girl!

But, at the moment of birth, the parents experienced both absolute surprise and deep concern: the little girl that Ben and Angela were waiting for had been born with very white skin, sea-colored blue eyes and curly blond hair. This outcome yeilded a baby girl who was the exact physical opposite of her father and mother in key areas. How could such a thing have happened? Angela and Ben were astonished, but at the same time, they were excited. It seemed genetics had caused an extremely rare mutation and the doctors who had followed the mother's pregnancy were paying this unusual case great attention.

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Pixabay/Not The Actual Photo

Pixabay/Not The Actual Photo

After a careful analysis, the doctors told the couple that the result of that genetic "miracle" was not simply due to the possible infidelity of the wife - far from it. It seems that little Nmachi, as mom and dad have called her, is the product of very ancient ancestors in both Ben and Angela's family trees. It is hypothesised that perhaps the two parents, in the distant past, had relatives of "mixed" ethnicity and with a skin color that was not entirely black. This means that somewhere in their family tree, there was a probably a white-skinned ancestor. However, many doctors have asserted that Nmachi could have been born white due to a rare form of albinism or it is due to a genetic mutation that will eventually determine if any of Nmachi's future children will be born with the same color skin as her.

Now the little girl is more than 10 years old, and her parents still consider her a true miracle of genetics. And only time will tell if Nmachi herself will give birth to white-skinned, blue-eyed children in the Ihegboro household!

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