Olivia Futrell: Alopecia Unknown

Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.

Olivia Futrell seemed to be an ordinary seven-year- old. That is, until February of this year, when her parents noticed a small patch of hair missing from the back of her head. Unsure of what to make of it, the Futrell's waited, not knowing if it was a typical child mishap, or something more serious. When the small bald patch grew, however, and more hair began to fall out in clumps, Heather and her husband, Jarid, took little Olivia to the doctor, in the hopes of discovering the source behind her sudden bald patches.
As it turns out, Olivia's hair loss was a sign of a disorder called alopecia, which is an autoimmune disorder that affects nearly 6.8 million people in America. This condition occurs when white blood cells attack the healthy cells in hair follicles, causing them to shrink and dramatically slow down hair production. It is unknown precisely what causes the immune system to target hair follicles this way. Ordinarily, the immune system protects the body from foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses, by recognizing and attacking these invaders and clearing them from the body. In autoimmune disorders, the immune system malfunctions and attacks the body's normal, healthy tissue instead, mistaking them for intruders. There is no known reason as to why the immune systems of alopecia patients target hair follicles of all things, but this condition usually does no permanent damage to the follicles, allowing the possibility for future hair regrowth.
Alopecia is in the same grouping of other autoimmune disorders, such as vitiligo, systemic lupus erythematosus, allergic asthma and autoimmune thyroid diseases, and often people with those autoimmune disorders have an increased risk of developing alopecia.
Alopecia is fortunately not usually a serious medical condition, but it does have emotional ramifications, and can cause a lot of sadness and anxiety. Little Olivia, however, took the news of her hair loss surprisingly well. Her parents were both surprised to see that it didn't really seem to bother her at all. “When I first saw my bald spots, I felt kind of sad,” said Olivia, “But now I am fine with it!” The seven year old even had a party when the time came to shave the remainder of her head. At the party, Olivia enjoyed a cake with icing that read, “No Hair Don't Care!”
While the possibility exists that people with alopecia could experience a return of some or all of their hair, in some cases as unpredictably as the loss of their hair, it's not guaranteed, and that may leave some people looking for other ways to cover their hair loss and protect their scalp. For Olivia, her favorite method of dealing with her hair loss is to embrace it.
When she was diagnosed, donations were made to supply Olivia with a long, brown wig, bearing some resemblance to her previously long, brunette locks. But Olivia prefers not to cover up her baldness, and strives to bring awareness to the presence of people with alopecia. “I don't like wearing my wig because it makes my head sweaty! And, I can't scratch my head when it gets itchy.” says Olivia. Instead of her wig, she decorates her head with adorable bows and scarfs, or allows her head to go comfortably bare. “My favorite accessory is my back to school bow.”
Olivia has what is known as alopecia universalis, which means her hair loss is not limited to the hair on the top of her head. Once her hair loss was fully underway, Olivia lost all the hair on her body, including her eyebrows and eyelashes. Alopecia universalis is the most advanced (and rarest) form of alopecia areata, only affecting an estimated one in 4,000 people.
Alopecia is not medically disabling. In fact, people with alopecia areata are usually in excellent health. The setbacks with alopecia are emotional ones, as this disease can be challenging to handle mentally, especially for those with extensive hair loss. Olivia's mother Heather knows this, and while Olivia seems to be adjusting well to the physical changes, Heather is hopeful that this continues for the future. “My biggest wish for her is that it never holds her back, or affects her self esteem. That it never starts to bother her.” Heather expressed a gratefulness that Olivia developed her alopecia as early on as she did, which gives her time to get used to the reality of her hair loss and come to terms with it before the already-difficult times of adolescence that comes with being an early teenager or young adult. Even with seven-year-old Olivia's optimism and carefree nature, Heather knows how cruel strangers can be, and implores people to instill kindness into themselves and their kids. “Teach your children to be kind,” she stated, “Teach them to accept everyone, including themselves.”
So much can be taken away from Olivia's story, as she faces this challenging condition with bravery and a compelling joy. She inspires those around her to accept themselves exactly as they are, whether they have an image-altering condition like alopecia or not.
To people with alopecia, take it from Olivia, who says, “You are so cute! You don't have to have hair to be beautiful!” Olivia, so full of inner and outer beauty, as well as mountains of infectious charm, proves this is absolutely right. And for those who are strangers to the worlds of physically altering disorders and conditions, Olivia says it best, “You should be kind to everyone, no matter what they look like on the outside, because they are beautiful on the inside!”
While alopecia is non life-threatening, it does often open people up to potential ridicule and cruel comments from others, who find joy, somehow, in increasing the suffering of others that they feel are different from them. But Olivia is just like many seven year old girls, and isn't that different from others her age. She enjoys school, having sleepovers at her Gigi's house, and going out for ice cream on Friday's. When she grows up, Olivia wants to own her own business, like her mother, and become a teacher. Perhaps without even knowing it, Olivia has already begun her teaching journey, spreading the word about alopecia as well as setting an excellent example for anyone who comes into contact with her about the importance of human decency, self acceptance and in no small measure, courage. Before her diagnosis in February, Olivia Futrell seemed to be an ordinary seven-year-old girl. As it turns out, she is. And that, in and of itself, is extraordinary.