Have you ever had an itch that you just can’t seem to scratch, no matter how hard you try?
In most cases, itchiness is the result of dry skin and can be relieved by applying lotion or giving yourself a good scratch. For people suffering from skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, however, it’s not that simple.
Even worse is that for one nine-year-old from Texas, a rare genetic skin condition could be potentially deadly if she doesn’t take the necessary precautions to protect her skin.
Maddie Hoffman is like most girls her age, except that she suffers from a deadly skin condition known as epidemolytic ichthyosis.
As a result of her condition, Maddie’s skin sheds at a rate that is nearly 10 times faster than the average child.
If left untreated, Maddie’s skin can become so dry and cracked that it hinders her ability to move. This irritation also leaves her vulnerable to potentially deadly infections.
Every two hours, this prove little girl must scrub her body from head to toe to make sure she removes all the dead skin.
Hydration and careful removal of her skin helped Maddie defy the odds at birth when most doctors didn’t think she would survive.
It’s a battle she’s fighting to this day.
Doctors have to keep a close eye on Maddie so that they can attack infections with antibiotics before they get too bad.
And while there’s currently no cure for ichthyosis, both Maddie and her mother are hopeful that a cure for the disease is just around the corner.
(via Mommy Page)