Solon Parents Form Alopecia Support Group For Children

It took a week for Jeremy Green to lose most of his hair.

Aaron Friedman's hair didn't fall out so quickly, and he didn't know until his barber pointed out the bald spots.

Jeremy and Aaron both have Alopecia, an auto-immune disease that leads to hair loss. But Jeremy and Aaron also have each other.

And that gave their parents an idea.

Stacy and Bruce Friedman, Aaron's parents, and Lisa Green, Jeremy's mom, teamed up to start an Ohio chapter of the Children's Alopecia Project, a support group for kids and teens who deal with Alopecia.

The two families live in Solon, and say they have helped each other deal with their childrens' conditions.

Stacy Friedman said that Aaron and Jeremy have been able to help each other cope. Most children with Alopecia aren't that lucky.

"They know they are not alone," she said. "Most people with Alopecia don't know anyone else with Alopecia."

Losing your hair can be emotionally difficult, especially for a teenager trying to navigate the social pressures of school. Alopecia is fairly rare -- about 4 million Americans have it -- and a child might be the only one in school with the condition. A bald head may lead to social awkwardness, as classmates could assume they have something more serious, like cancer.

The goal of the Children's Alopecia Project is to help kids dealing with the same problems meet and help each other out through friendship and fun.

"I don't think you can even put into words just how much it helps to bring these kids together," Green said. "There's something magical about these kids when they are with each other. Not just the kids, but the parents too."

The support group had its first meeting in March, and had four families attend. For the second event, they took the kids to a Lake County Captain's game. They had seven families at that event.

Green said they hope to find more members and spread a simple message.

"Everybody has something about them that's different," she said. "You're OK, you just happen to not have hair."

HOW TO CONTACT THE CHILDREN'S ALOPECIA PROJECT

Do you live in Ohio and have a child who has Alopecia? Here's how to contact the Ohio Chapter:

• Visit Children's Alopecia Project on the Web.
• Call Stacy Friedman at 440-759-7689 or e-mail at stacy.friedman@childrensalopeciaproject.org
• E-mail Lisa Green at lisa.green@childrensalopeciaproject.org