Four years ago, Prince William County, Virginia, resident Sharlay Field鈥檚 son suddenly started losing his hair.
He was just a toddler at the time and his puzzling diagnosis was a new one for the family.
鈥淲e found out that he had alopecia, and we didn鈥檛 know anything about it,鈥� Fields said. 鈥淢ost of the time it鈥檚 hereditary. But in our case, it isn鈥檛. It was a shock for us because we didn鈥檛 have it on either side.鈥�
Her son, Horace, has an autoimmune disease that causes complete hair loss, also called alopecia universalis.
But as her toddler aged, he had many questions 鈥� and other children did, too.
鈥淗e had questions around, 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 I look like the rest of our family?鈥欌�� Fields told 海角社区app. 鈥淗is sister has a huge head of hair.鈥�
Horace鈥檚 questions sparked a call to action for the Montclair mom. She searched for a children鈥檚 book to clearly explain his condition to him.
But after coming up empty, Fields decided to write one featuring her little boy.
It鈥檚 called In it, her now five-year-old goes on a fun-filled adventure explaining alopecia and how to live carefree with it.
鈥淣ot only do you learn what alopecia is, but the book also shows what it looks like when you鈥檙e confident in your self-image,鈥� said Fields, who self-published the book. 鈥淭here are other children in it that are hair-free. And there are things that bring joy and laughter.鈥�
Fields, who鈥檚 also a teacher, said the book is a bridge for other children and adults to learn about hair loss.
鈥淚鈥檝e had a lot of interaction with children who would point at him and say, 鈥楾hat kid has no hair,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淎s a mother, it breaks your heart. Now, I bring the book with me everywhere and when kids [say that], I say, 鈥榃ell, come on over and let me read this book to you.鈥欌��
Fields also penned the children’s book to counter many people鈥檚 preoccupation with hair, to emphasis that locks 鈥� or a lack thereof 鈥� aren鈥檛 a mark of self-worth.
鈥淔or myself personally, I鈥檝e been attached to my hair my whole life,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut what I鈥檝e learned from my son is that it鈥檚 OK if my hair isn鈥檛 perfect. Without alopecia affecting our family, this is a lesson I wouldn鈥檛 have learned.鈥�
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