12 year old commits suicide after being bullied for alopecia [View all]

[Tree-Hugger]

This month, a 12 year old girl - Rio - took her own life after being ridiculed by her peers for alopecia. She was just 12 and she endured verbal taunts and physical assault because of her alopecia.

I am posting the following story/link because I have seen so many comments here on DU and elsewhere about how "it's just hair" or "roasting is what comics do" or "Jada should be flattered to be compared to Demi Moore(GI Jane)" or "she chose not to wear a wig." Perhaps people aren't aware of the physical and emotional pain that folks with alopecia endure.

I wrote in another post that my daughter has a best friend with alopecia. They are in elementary school. My daughter's friend was diagnosed with alopecia areata years ago. This is an autoimmune disorder. For her, it causes her hair to fall out in patches. There are spirts of regrowth and then spurts of new hair loss. Sometimes she chooses to shave. Sometimes she wears a wig. Other times she leaves it as in, patches and all. One thing many people don't realize is that there is physical pain that comes with it. Often, the head and scalp are tender, itchy, irritated, or even numb. There are headaches. There are other bodily symptoms and feelings of being unwell. Since it's automimmune it's systemic and not just focused on hair. Then there is the mental and emotional toll. My daughter' s friend is bullied daily in school. She can't win - shaved head, patchy hair, wigs, hats - nothing she does stops the bullies. She has had physical altercations over it. It's not just kids. Adults are Fucking rude and ruthless. The stares. The comments. The way they gently usher their children away from her as if they could somehow catch it. This is noticed by the little girl all the time. She is very good at reading those signals from adults and it's heartbreaking. I have witnessed the stares and have heard the whispers. I have had moments of catching eye contact and goving warnings. There are times I want to slap an ignorant adult who has zero issue with commenting on a child's appearance. As a result, this little girl has intense anxiety. It has been so heavy for her mental health and that of my friends, her mom.

Support groups for children and adults with alopecia are loaded with stories of bullying, assault, ridicule. People think "it's just hair" or "why not just wear a wig?" without truly thinking through the very real psychological and physical effects of alopecia.

And here is the story of 12 year old Rio, who took her own life a little over a week ago because she couldn't take it anymore.

From the link:
"Joining students were dozens of parents holding their own posters in support of Rio just eight days after she took her own life.

Rio reportedly suffered from alopecia, an autoimmune disease that made her hair fall out.

After starting off the school year wearing a wig, Rio’s mother, Nicole Ball, told 16 News Now last week that students began ripping it off Rio’s head. Ball also claims her daughter was smacked upside the head in front of the entire class for not having any hair.

“Rio has brought together an army and that army stands for you!” Rio’s grandfather told students who participated in the walkout."


https://www.wndu.com/2022/03/22/hundreds-students-walkout-north-side-middle-school-protest-districts-handle-bullying/