Ryan's Alopeciapalooza Dream

I created this GoFundMe account for my daughter, Ryan, who has been diagnosed with alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack the hair follicles. Alopecia can present itself as patchy, bald spots or, in Ryan's case, complete hair loss including eyebrows and eyelashes. Ryan is a cheerful, curious and comical nine year-old girl, who loves math and science. Her hair began falling out in chunks last November, and in a matter of six weeks her hair was completely gone. We moved out of state and she had a really hard time making friends at her new school. She was constantly teased and bullied and eventually dreaded going to school all together. Luckily, she had an AWESOME teacher that kept her focused on her school work and motivated to continue her streak of all A's. Recently, Ryan took an IQ test for a specialized school and it confirmed what we have always believed:she is a certified genius!! This has heightened her love of learning even more and helped her rebuild her confidence but she is still a long way from walking out of the house without a head covering.

Ryan has begun the process of coming to terms with her hair loss, but she still feels as if there isn't anyone who truly understands what she is going through. This summer, I am hoping to send her to Alopeciapalooza, a camp for children with alopecia and their families. This will expose her to other kids with similar experiences. Unfortunately, the camp is expensive and 700 miles away which makes it difficult to fund on a teacher's salary. Any gifts of love that bring her closer to this life changing summer experience will be appreciated by the both of us.