Ryan's Alopecia Areata trip to Fearless in Seattle
Donation protected
Hello everyone. My son Ryan was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata in 2016. Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease that has no cure but it is treatable usually through corticosteroids which are administered through local injections, topical ointment, or orally. The condition occurs when white blood cells attack the cells in hair follicles, which in turn causes them to shrink and dramatically slow down hair production. In other words your immune system looks at your hair like it's something foreign and attacks your hair and makes it fall out. Once it falls, it makes it difficult for the hair to grow. This can happen to anyone at any age.
For Ryan it all started with one small bald patch on the back of his head and soon he started losing all hair on his scalp which is called Alopecia Totalis.
In this year of 2019 his condition has progressed to Alopecia Universalis which means the condition has attacked all hair on his body including eyelashes and eyebrows. We went to several dermatologists and tried the topical ointments and the injections which would have to be placed on his scalp. But we have decided to take a break on the treatments, three years of injections is too much.
Ryan has always been a vibrant kid and has always made the best of his situation and I thank Jesus for that. Unfortunately he has been having a very difficult time this year having started a new school and leaving all his friends behind and losing all of his hair in the process. It was a tough decision to make but because he was accepted to a Gifted and Talented Program in a different school we decided to go for it.
Ryan has been facing bullying and it has affected his self-esteem. He is made fun of because he is bald. He does not understand why he looks different and why he cannot have hair. It breaks my heart as a mother to see him hurting knowing I cannot do anything but have faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I was happy to see that NAAF (National Alopecia Areata Foundation) offers an annual conference where people from all over who have Alopecia Areata can meet others who share in this same condition and are able to meet with doctors and learn about new treatments. This year is the 34th Annual Alopecia Areata Conference and the theme of the conference is Fearless in Seattle. It's a gigantic support group that I feel Ryan would benefit from. He will learn how to be bald, beautiful, blessed and fearless no matter where he is at. They offer a kids camp as well where he will meet other kids who are just like him.
Unfortunately this trip is expensive and we cannot afford it on our own. It is held on the dates of Thursday June 27, 2019-Sunday June 30, 2019 in Renton Washington, which means we will need to fly to get there. There are registration fees and also hotel fees. They are offering early registration prices which will have to be paid by May 28, 2019.
Although hesitant, after putting a lot of thought into it, we decided to create a GoFundMe page in hopes that others such as yourselves would be able to help make this trip possible for Ryan. We would greatly appreciate it and we thank you in advanced. May God continue to bless you all and may his favor shine upon you all.
https://www.facebook.com/william.durecout/videos/vb.100000186525855/2640631662619692/?type=3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6kHj2YHBxs
https://www.naaf.org/programs/annual-alopecia-areata-conference
For Ryan it all started with one small bald patch on the back of his head and soon he started losing all hair on his scalp which is called Alopecia Totalis.
In this year of 2019 his condition has progressed to Alopecia Universalis which means the condition has attacked all hair on his body including eyelashes and eyebrows. We went to several dermatologists and tried the topical ointments and the injections which would have to be placed on his scalp. But we have decided to take a break on the treatments, three years of injections is too much.
Ryan has always been a vibrant kid and has always made the best of his situation and I thank Jesus for that. Unfortunately he has been having a very difficult time this year having started a new school and leaving all his friends behind and losing all of his hair in the process. It was a tough decision to make but because he was accepted to a Gifted and Talented Program in a different school we decided to go for it.
Ryan has been facing bullying and it has affected his self-esteem. He is made fun of because he is bald. He does not understand why he looks different and why he cannot have hair. It breaks my heart as a mother to see him hurting knowing I cannot do anything but have faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I was happy to see that NAAF (National Alopecia Areata Foundation) offers an annual conference where people from all over who have Alopecia Areata can meet others who share in this same condition and are able to meet with doctors and learn about new treatments. This year is the 34th Annual Alopecia Areata Conference and the theme of the conference is Fearless in Seattle. It's a gigantic support group that I feel Ryan would benefit from. He will learn how to be bald, beautiful, blessed and fearless no matter where he is at. They offer a kids camp as well where he will meet other kids who are just like him.
Unfortunately this trip is expensive and we cannot afford it on our own. It is held on the dates of Thursday June 27, 2019-Sunday June 30, 2019 in Renton Washington, which means we will need to fly to get there. There are registration fees and also hotel fees. They are offering early registration prices which will have to be paid by May 28, 2019.
Although hesitant, after putting a lot of thought into it, we decided to create a GoFundMe page in hopes that others such as yourselves would be able to help make this trip possible for Ryan. We would greatly appreciate it and we thank you in advanced. May God continue to bless you all and may his favor shine upon you all.
https://www.facebook.com/william.durecout/videos/vb.100000186525855/2640631662619692/?type=3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6kHj2YHBxs
https://www.naaf.org/programs/annual-alopecia-areata-conference
Organizer
Jennifer Durecout
Organizer
New York, NY