These oil paintings are from people living with NF all over the United States. If there are 5 or more people from a single state, they are in the State Show Collections folder.
Reggie Sipping Coffee
Houston, Texas ~ 2012
Oil on Canvas
30" x 24"
Growing up with NF, Reggie Bibbs had his challenges of surgeries and hurtful episodes. He remembers one incident which he recalled, “Most of my teachers at Pershing were nice to me, but one incident haunts me still. I was waiting for the bus when I was fifteen. A teacher walked toward me asking, "Where did you get that thing?" He was accusing me of having a mask on. It was no mask, it was just me. Taken aback I gasped "What?!" When he realized what he had done, he simply shook his head and walked away. “Never mind” he mumbled. I did not know what to say or think. I realized then that I was angry. I had been going to the school for years. How could he be so unobservant? Even if he thought I had a mask and suddenly realized that I did not, his attitude was still offensive. By turning away from me with no apology, he did not acknowledge my humanity. If he had looked into my eyes, he would have seen a child who was hurt; he would have felt repentant. But he did not look at me long enough to see anything, it wasn’t worth the effort.”
Reggie is the director of the “Just Ask! Foundation” a non-profit organization dedicated to raising NF awareness by simply wanting people to start dialogues about NF and become informed about the disorder.
Reggie is the director of the “Just Ask! Foundation” a non-profit organization dedicated to raising NF awareness by simply wanting people to start dialogues about NF and become informed about the disorder.