(BPT) - When Keira was diagnosed with alopecia areata at just 2 years old, her mother Leslie felt lost and unsure where to turn for support. "It was so isolating and lonely," said Leslie. "I felt desperate for information and a community."
As her daughter began attending school, the diagnosis affected Keira's daily life in heartbreaking ways. One day, Keira told her mom, "Being the only bald kid at school is really hard." This made Leslie more determined than ever to connect with other families who had children with alopecia.
kAm{6D=:6VD D62C49 7@C 4@>>F?:EJ 3682? H:E9 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?227]@C8^Q E2C86ElQ0D6=7Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm}2E:@?2= p=@A64:2 pC62E2 u@F?52E:@?â„¢ W}ppuâ„¢Xk^2m[ H9:49 4@??64ED A6@A=6 =:G:?8 H:E9 2=@A64:2 2C62E2[ E96:C 72>:=:6D[ 42C68:G6CD 2?5 >65:42= 2?5 D4:6?E:7:4 AC@76DD:@?2=D] }ppu 7@DE6CD 4@>>F?:EJ E92E 5C:G6D C6D62C49 2?5 EC62E>6?E 56G6=@A>6?E[ C2:D6D 2H2C6?6DD E@ C65F46 DE:8>2 2?5 AC@G:56D DFAA@CE E@ :>AC@G6 =:G6D]k^Am
kAmu:?5:?8 E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ 96=A65 {6D=:6 2?5 z6:C2 766= D66? 2?5 4@??64E65] {6D=:6 D:8?65 FA 7@C }ppuVD Q*@F pC6 }@E p=@?6Q H63:?2CD 2?5 7@F?5 2 H62=E9 @7 C6D@FC46D E92E 96=A65 62D6 E96:C ;@FC?6J — :?4=F5:?8 E@@=D E@ 96=A 96C 2AAC@249 z6:C2VD E62496C[ H9:49 6?4@FC2865 E96 72>:=J E@ 36 @A6? H:E9 E96 D49@@= 4@>>F?:EJ 23@FE 96C 4@?5:E:@?]k^Am
kAm(96? {6D=:6 =62C?65 23@FE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?227]@C8^H2=<^nFE>0D@FC46l3C2?5A@:?EU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lH6302CE:4=6U2>AjFE>042>A2:8?lH2=<U2>AjFE>04@?E6?El<6:C2Q E2C86ElQ0D6=7Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm}ppuVD (2=< u@C p=@A64:2â„¢k^2m :? a_aa[ D96 4C62E65 2 Q(2=< (96C6 *@F pC6 %62>Q :? |:??62A@=:D[ :?G:E:?8 6G6CJ@?6 H9@ DFAA@CE65 z6:C2 E@ A2CE:4:A2E6] %96 7@==@H:?8 J62C[ {6D=:6 FAA65 96C 677@CED H:E9 2? @77:4:2= G@=F?E66C\=65 H2=< D:E6 :?G:E:?8 2?J@?6 :? E96 %H:? r:E:6D E@ ;@:?]k^Am
kAmQ~?6 @7 E96 >@DE >62?:?87F= >@>6?ED H2D H96? 2 >2? H9@ =:G65 H:E9 2=@A64:2 2C62E2 7@C @G6C d_ J62CD E@=5 >6 9@H 962=:?8 :E H2D E@ 36 E96C6[Q {6D=:6 C642==65] Qx ?6G6C :>28:?65 E92E 3J ECJ:?8 E@ 3F:=5 2 4@>>F?:EJ E@ DFAA@CE >J 52F89E6C[ x 4@F=5 96=A @E96CD[ E@@]Qk^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mxEVD ?@E ;FDE 92:Ck^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?227]@C8^2=@A64:2\2C62E2^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmp=@A64:2 2C62E2 :D 2 4@>>@? 2FE@:>>F?6 D<:? 5:D62D6k^2m[ :? H9:49 E96 3@5JVD :>>F?6 DJDE6> >:DE2<6D 962=E9J E:DDF6D 2D 52?86C@FD 2?5 368:?D 2EE24<:?8 E96>] Qp=@A64:2Q >62?D 32=5 2?5 Q2C62E2Q >62?D A2E49J] %96 5:D62D6 42FD6D 92:C =@DD @? E96 D42=A[ 7246 2?5 D@>6E:>6D @E96C 3@5J 2C62D[ =:<6 F?56C E96 2C>D @C @? E96 =68D] !6@A=6 H:E9 2=@A64:2 2C62E2 >@DE @7E6? =@D6 92:C :? 4:C4F=2C[ 4@:?\D:K65 A2E496D @? E96 D42=A[ 3FE :? >@C6 D6G6C6 42D6D E96J >2J =@D6 2== E96:C 92:C]k^Am
kAmw2:C =@DD @7E6? 7:CDE 2AA62CD 5FC:?8 49:=59@@5[ 3FE 9@H 2?5 H96? :D 5:776C6?E 7@C 6G6CJ@?6]k^Am
kAm%96 49C@?:4 2?5 F?AC65:4E23=6 ?2EFC6 @7 2=@A64:2 2C62E2 42? 42FD6 AC@7@F?5 ADJ49@=@8:42= :>A24E[ :?4=F5:?8 =@DD @7 D6=7\:56?E:EJ[ 56AC6DD:@?[ H:E95C2H2= 2?5 6G6? DF:4:52= :562E:@?] p=E9@F89 :E :D 7C6BF6?E=J 5:D>:DD65 2D 2 4@D>6E:4 4@?5:E:@?[ 2=@A64:2 2C62E2 42? 36 2 566A=J EC2F>2E:4 6IA6C:6?46[ C6DF=E:?8 :? 6>@E:@?2= 2?5 64@?@>:4 A2:? 2?5 D@4:2= :D@=2E:@?]k^Am
kAmp3@FE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?43:]?=>]?:9]8@G^A>4^2CE:4=6D^!|rddfb`ad^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmaT @7 A6@A=6k^2m H@C=5H:56 2?5 ?62C=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?227]@C8^2=@A64:2\2C62E2^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmf >:==:@? p>6C:42?Dk^2m H:== 6IA6C:6?46 2=@A64:2 2C62E2 2E D@>6 A@:?E :? E96:C =:76E:>6] !6@A=6 @7 2== 286D[ 86?56CD 2?5 C24:2= 2?5 6E9?:4 8C@FAD 2C6 27764E65 3J 2=@A64:2 2C62E2] }6H usp\2AAC@G65 EC62E>6?ED 5C:G6? 3J }ppu 2?5 E96 2=@A64:2 2C62E2 4@>>F?:EJ 2==@H D@>6 A6@A=6 =:G:?8 H:E9 D6G6C6 2=@A64:2 2C62E2 E@ D276=J 2?5 67764E:G6=J C68C@H E96:C 92:C[ 3FE >@C6 C6D62C49 :D ?66565[ 2?5 E96C6 2C6 >2?J A@E6?E:2= ?6H EC62E>6?ED :? E96 5CF8 56G6=@A>6?E A:A6=:?6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mw@H J@F 42? >2<6 2 5:776C6?46k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%9C@F89 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?227]@C8^H2=<^nFE>0D@FC46l3C2?5A@:?EU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lH6302CE:4=6U2>AjFE>042>A2:8?lH2=<U2>AjFE>04@?E6?El<6:C2Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm(2=< u@C p=@A64:2k^2m !C6D6?E65 3J !7:K6C[ 2?J@?6 2?JH96C6 42? 92G6 2 5:C64E :>A24E @? 2=@A64:2 2C62E2 EC62E>6?E 56G6=@A>6?E[ 2D H6== 2D 96=A:?8 E@ 7F?5 D6CG:46D 2?5 C6D@FC46D 7@C A6@A=6 =:G:?8 H:E9 2=@A64:2 2C62E2 2?5 E96:C 72>:=:6D] %96 (2=< u@C p=@A64:2 :D E96 H@C=5VD =2C86DE 2=@A64:2 2C62E2 2H2C6?6DD 2?5 7F?5C2:D:?8 42>A2:8?[ 24E:?8 2D E96 7:?2=6 @7 p=@A64:2 pC62E2 pH2C6?6DD |@?E9 6249 $6AE6>36C] %96 (2=< 3C:?8D E96 2=@A64:2 2C62E2 4@>>F?:EJ E@86E96C[ 6>A@H6C:?8 :?5:G:5F2=D[ 72>:=:6D 2?5 E96 AF3=:4 E@ 25G2?46 E96 492?86 E96J H2?E E@ D66 3J 5:C64E=J 7F?5:?8 AC@8C2>D 2?5 C6D62C49[ H9:=6 D9:?:?8 2 =:89E @? 2 5:D62D6 H9:49 @7E6? =:G6D :? E96 D925@HD]k^Am
kAmQ!2CE:4:A2E:?8 :? E96 (2=< u@C p=@A64:2 C62==J 96=A65 FD E2=< 23@FE 2=@A64:2 E@ @E96C A6@A=6] x =62C?65 2 =@E[ 2?5 :E 96=A65 FD 766= =6DD ?6CG@FD 23@FE H92E z6:C2 >:89E 6IA6C:6?46 :? =:76[Q {6D=:6 D2:5] Q}@H H6 766= D@ >F49 >@C6 4@??64E65 E@ 6G6CJ@?6 @? E96 2=@A64:2 ;@FC?6J[ 2?5 H6 <?@H H6 2C6 ?@E 2=@?6PQk^Am
kAm#625J E@ >2<6 2 5:776C6?46 :? 2 7F?[ 24E:G6 2?5 >62?:?87F= H2Jn #68:DE6C E@52J 7@C E96 %9:C5 p??F2= (2=< u@C p=@A64:2 @? $2EFC52J[ $6AE] af[ 2E @G6C a_ ?2E:@?H:56 =@42E:@?D — @C :7 E96C6 :D?VE 2 H2=< ?62C J@F[ J@F 42? Q(2=< (96C6 *@F pC6Q 2D 2? :?5:G:5F2= @C E62> :? J@FC ?6:893@C9@@5 E@ D9:?6 2 3C:89E =:89E @? 2=@A64:2 2C62E2] ':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?227]@C8^H2=<^nFE>0D@FC46l3C2?5A@:?EU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lH6302CE:4=6U2>AjFE>042>A2:8?lH2=<U2>AjFE>04@?E6?El<6:C2Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm}ppu]@C8^H2=<k^2m 7@C :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 E@ C68:DE6C]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.