Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for December 29, 2008 ALOPECIA AWARENESS

Inspiration in Alopecia

By: Christen Craig

JACKSON COUNTY-- In everyone's life there's a challenge to overcome. But a local teenager has developed the determination to educate people about her disease and inspire others to conquer whatever comes their way.

At first glance Ashley Crain seems like a normal 18 year old.

"I've gotten some big scholarships to go to SIU, like the Dean's Scholarship" says Crain.

She's a high achieving college freshman with dreams.

"The answer that I give most people when they ask me what I want to be when I grow up-- I tell them your boss!"

But a rare medical disorder called Alopecia caused Ashley to recently loose her hair.

What started out as a small patch of baldness quickly spread. "It's moved to effect my legs, my arms, my eyelashes, eyebrows and head."

Alopecia only affects 2 percent of America and the few treatments available were unsuccessful.

Ashley had to cope with her difference. "The stares, the impolite long stares at the beginning bothered me."

But last summer things changed-- at a National Alopecia Conference in Kentucky, Ashley realized she wasn't alone.

"Everybody there was bald and everybody was just so proud. There was so many of us all together and I think going to that, kind of gave me the confidence and the boost I needed to go ahead and take off my wig."

After meeting other Alopecia sufferers for the first time, she turned her attention away from herself and to helping others cope with the disease.

"I try to make my condition known so that everybody knows about it because if everyone knows about it then they're not going to make fun of the next person that comes along and has Alopecia."

She's also been busy supporting other victims online and is even writing Congressmen asking for their support on a proposed bill. "What it would do is make health care provide a wig to those that had Alopecia. A yearly wig for people that couldn't afford one."

So far the bill has not been passed but she's not done trying.

Ashley says she'll continue to use a condition that once held her back, to move her forward and hopes to inspire others along the way.

Ashley was recently honored for being an inspiring women and granted a scholarship.

The bill she's asking congress to pass is 5R5936.

The bill would also help provide wigs for cancer victims.