Parents Benjaman and Angela Ihegboro both ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ introduced their white skinned, blonde-haired daughter Nmachi to the world. The couple, from Woolwich, South London, was as baffled as the scientific community at their daughter’s appearance, being unaware of any white heritage at all in either family.
A couple of African origins gave birth to a white, blue-eyed blonde baby in London on Monday. British national Nmachi Ihegboro has amazed genetics experts who say the little girl is notan albino. Dad Ben, 44, a customer services adviser, admitted: “We both just sat there after the birth staring at her.” Mum Angela, 35, of Woolwich, South London, beamed as she said: “She’s beautiful, a miracle baby.” Ben said how he was sᴏ shocked when Nmachi was born, he even joked: “Is she mine?” He added: “Actually, the first thing I did was look at her and says, What the flip?” But as the baby’s older brother and sister, both black crowded round the ‘little miracle’ at their home in South London, Ben declared: “Of course she’s mine.”
Blue-eyed blonde Nmachi, whose name means ‘Beauty of god’ in the Nigerian couple’s homeland, has baffled genetics experts because neither Ben nor wife Angela has any mixed-race family history. Pale genes skipping generations before cropping up again could have explained the baby’s appearance. Ben also stressed: “My wife is true to me. Even if she hadn’t been, the baby still wouldn’t look like that. We both just sat there after the birth staring at her for ages ɴᴏᴛ saying anything.” Doctors at queen mary’s hospital in sidcup where Angela gave birth told Angela and her husband that Nmachi did ɴᴏᴛ have albinism. Ben came to England with his wife five years ago and works for South Eastern Trains. Angela said: “She’s not albino, after all, she’s a perfectly healthy child.”
Professor Bryan Sykes, head ᴏf genetic anthropology at Oxford University and a leading expert in the field, called the rare case ‘unusaul’. He said :” In accelerated lineage mixing, variations in lighter skin can manifest in later generations. This causes the child to be born with a different skin color than the parents. This case may be due to genetic mixing, but in Nigerians it is very rare. Both the father and mother of the child have white ancestry and it is recessed through the generations, but it is revealed to their children’s generation. Her blonde curly hair is an extremely rare case.”
Ben said: “The older boy is 4 years old, her brother insists that the girl is ɴᴏᴛhis brother. And Nmachi Ihegboro’s sister is only 2 years old, so she doesn’t understand.” Of course they want to know what happened, but we know that life is full of strange things. All is now healthy baby and they love her. They are proud to be anglo-nigerian.
