I’m writing this on behalf of my beautiful 4-year-old daughter, Gianna, who was recently diagnosed with Alopecia Areata. Alopecia is a condition where your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles which causes hair loss.

This started out a few months ago as a rash on the back of her neck that spread up her scalp. Once the rash went away, unfortunately, she started to lose hair where the rash was. We were hoping this was temporary, but the bald patch grew bigger and began to spread to new areas of her head.

For a while I was able to style her hair so it wasn’t noticeable, but her hair rapidly began to fall out in many areas of her head. She was seen by a dermatologist who told us there is no cure, and the treatment may or may not be effective. She began a topical steroid on her scalp and if this doesn’t work, the next treatment option would be scalp injections to hopefully stimulate hair growth again.

Watching her look in the mirror at the bald spots where her beautiful curls used to be has been heartbreaking to witness as her mother. She’s too young to fully understand what is happening, and I am trying my best to make sure this doesn’t impact her self-esteem.

I would love to be able to purchase a few good quality wigs for Gianna. It has devastated her that I’m not able to style her hair as I once was able to. I would love to be able to bring some excitement back to her when it comes to doing her hair.

I have applied for the Wigs for Kids program, which is a foundation that provides free wigs for children with medical conditions, but unfortunately, this process can take many months. I’m worried that her hair will be completely gone by this point.

I understand that times are extremely hard right now. If you’re able to donate any amount at all, anything is helpful. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!