By Marc Steingesser NFED Liaison On Tuesday, September 29th, I represented the NFED on Capitol Hill along with Jeanne Wang and her son, Nollan, and Kristin Matus-Kelso and her daughter, Ally. We joined other rare skin disorder advocates and members from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) to share our concerns and issues with members…
A Lighthouse to Guide our Lifeboat
By Jenny Steele Three years ago, we heard the term ectodermal dysplasia for the first time. An internet search introduced us to the NFED. With a few clicks of the mouse, we found a wealth of information and a community of people who understood what we were facing. The NFED family would become a lighthouse…
EEC Chick at Work
By Heather McKelvie I volunteer for the NFED because I want to be part of something that is bigger than myself. When I was growing up, I secretly hoped that someone I knew would have a child with EEC, or at the very least, with a cleft lip and palate, or ectrodactyly. I imagined that…
Sharing the Excitement of Research
By Maranke Koster, Ph. D. I first became aware of the NFED, and of ectodermal dysplasias, while investigating the role of a gene by the name of p63. The striking similarities between mice lacking a functional p63 gene and individuals affected by ectodermal dysplasias suggested a role for p63 in these disorders. Sure enough, it…
Seeking the Solution to Dry Eyes – Part 3
Read Part 1 and Part 2 of Bracee’s story. When we last left off, Bracee was having a difficult time getting the PROSE lenses in and was feeling very frustrated… I talked to my mom on the phone and as usual, she had the right answers. The final solution for my anxiety turned out to be…
Off the Radar!
By Marc Steingesser I volunteer for the NFED for two reasons: Those of us affected by ectodermal dysplasia are part of a rare group with unique life challenges that can sometimes place us outside the box and off the radar of the mainstream world. It can be difficult to find well-informed medical professionals able to…
Seeking the Solution to Dry Eyes – Part 2
By Bracee Dudley Read part 1 of Bracee’s story here. After attending a session about PROSE lenses at the 2014 National Family Conference, Bracee and her parents wondered if this was the solution they had been seeking… The benefits of using the BostonSight® PROSE (prosthetic replacement of the ocular surface ecosystem) contact lens include reduced dry eye symptoms,…
Howdy!
By Susan Hamm I’ve always been the type of person to volunteer for projects or causes I was passionate about and the NFED was no different. I attended my first Family Conference and came home with an overwhelming amount of information on this syndrome that I had barely learned to pronounce. After processing what I…