4 Year Old With Alopecia Raises Money Through Art

A Wirral schoolgirl with Alopecia Universalis has decided to use her painting skills to raise money for Alopecia research. Alopecia universalis is the most extreme form of hair loss where all hair on the body is lost, including eyebrows and eyelashes.
4 year old Sydney Caraher experienced her first significant period of hair loss in September last year - though at the time the hair loss was restricted to her head. The situation escalated so quickly that parents Sarah and Dave decided have all the remaining strands of hair cut off in December. Though Sydney had already experienced some hair loss in the past, it had never been as dramatic and she recovered each time.
Sarah recalls how difficult it was for the young girl to understand what was happening to her once hip-length hair: “She was so upset, she didn’t understand. She asked if she was a boy now. We went through a period of four weeks where she wouldn’t touch anything pink.”

Alopecia universalis at age 4

This time, Sydney’s condition has become more severe, with the hair loss no longer being restricted to the hair on her head, a condition known as Alopecia Universalis.
Her parents believe that her hair loss is stress-related, with the condition striking particularly severely after difficult periods such as hospital visits.
Sarah said: “She’s lost hair on her arms, legs, eyelashes, it’s completely gone. She has no eyebrows now and a couple of tiny strands dotted on her head but to look at her you would think she is completely bald.
“It’s upsetting for her because people stare naturally when they see a child with no hair; they think she has leukaemia and you have awkward questions. Other children sometimes don’t go near her because they think she’s sick.
“She has lost a lot of confidence and we are doing what we can to build it back up and she’s still coming to terms with it herself. She doesn’t understand fully what’s happened. She thinks if she eats all her fruit and veg it will all come back.”

Raising awareness through art

The brave 4 year old is now looking to bring more awareness to this condition, by raising money for Alopecia UK, a charity that conducts research into Alopecia. The Overchurch school pupil has made a painting called ‘Volcano’, which will be auctioned on eBay to raise money for the charity. The painting sparked a bidding war soon after it was put up for auction: rising from a starting point of 99p to an amazing £205.
Her parents are proud of their young daughter’s determination and resilience. Sarah says: “We are proud of her, especially now she’s not affected by everyone staring. She’s still at the stage where she doesn’t really understand but we want to help her to be herself.”