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Lillee Edmonson
Lillee Edmonson loves to draw. “She draws all the time,” says her mother, Deborah Edmonson.
“Her artwork is incredible. She is going to start taking art classes soon.” The eight year old also
loves music, and wants to take piano lessons, too. Inquisitive and full of life, it’s hard to believe
that just a few years ago she was so very sick.
“We adopted Lillee from China,” says Deborah. “She has albinism, but it wasn’t a surprise to us.
We knew she had the condition before we got her.” An inherited disorder that presents with little
or no melanin production, children with albinism have little or no color to their skin, eyes, or hair.
Deborah and her husband, Steven, traveled to China, spending two weeks there to pick up Lillee,
who was just 15 months old when they got her. “She was so precious, dancing around, always happy,”
says Deborah.
Lillee adapted well to life with her new family, who lives in Madison. She attended First Presbyterian
Pre-K and fit in beautifully. When she was four years old, Deborah went to pick up Lillee, and she
was called into the office. A substitute teacher was with Lillee’s class that day, and she said Lillee had
been difficult. She had refused to walk or talk all day. Deborah says that was unusual for Lillee, who
was typically very well behaved. Deborah went to the classroom to get Lillee, and she was shocked by
what she saw. “Her legs were like noodles, and she couldn’t talk. She just gave me a very confused
look.” Deborah panicked and realized she could get the child the hospital faster on her own than
waiting for an ambulance. “I rushed her into the emergency room.”
70 • SEPTEMBER 2021