Jordyn unfazed by her absence of hair
Jordyn Eketone is just like any other seven-year-old. She plays video games, zips around on ‘‘Heelies’’ and goes to sleepovers with her best friends.
The Hamilton girl wants to play soccer or netball when she grows up – an idea that lights up her eyes and spreads a grin across her face.
She’s better than other kids her age at playing netball. But, as Jordyn put it, when you look at her ‘‘something’s missing’’.
When Jordyn was two years old all of her hair fell out – the result of alopecia. Alopecia is a condition where the body’s white blood cells start attacking hair follicles, meaning hair ceases to grow. It’s classified as an auto-immune disease, but Jordyn doesn’t like that.
‘‘I don’t like saying it’s a disease because I am perfectly fine,’’ she said.
Jordyn doesn’t remember having hair, and she feels lucky that she lost it so young. She has friends who lost their hair when they were older and she says it’s hard for them.
‘‘They told me I inspire them because I am so confident without anything covering my head,’’ she said.
She tried a wig once, just to learn how to do a ponytail, but she hated it and she’s happy she doesn’t have hair.
‘‘It’s not so bad being different, I actually enjoy it,’’ she said.
‘‘I hear my sister moaning all the time about having a bad hair day and my mum moaning because she can’t be bothered shaving her legs or shaping her eyebrows. I just giggle to myself.’’
Jordyn’s mum, Ali Eketone, said it was hard for her when Jordyn lost her hair as there was no information and no support.
‘‘It’s generally hidden and people hide that they have it behind wigs and scarves because there’s no answers. There’s no cure.’’
It upset her to see her little girl go through this, but that soon changed.
‘‘I just sat back and watched her playing and it just didn’t bother her.
’’I thought if she’s not bothered by it then I shouldn’t be either.’’
It wasn’t so easy for Jordyn’s 11-yearold sister Kaiarahi, who gets offended when people stare or laugh at her sister, or when they ask if she has cancer, but now it’s easy for her to shrug it off.
But the family is determined to make sure that everyone out there has support – so determined that Mrs Eketone has teamed up with six other families to organise a national alopecia function.
It will feature inspirational speakers and is designed to support New Zealanders with all types of alopecia along with their families and friends. Jordyn is looking forward to it. ‘‘She just wants to meet other people,’’ Mrs Eketone said. ‘‘And because she’s so confident without anything covering her head, she’s going to inspire some other kids I hope.
And this is one headstrong seven-yearold.
‘‘I will not let a small thing like alopecia stand in the way of anything.’’
For more information on the Alopecia Aotearoa Function head to http:/ /alopeciaaotearoa.wix.com or the Alopecia Aotearoa facebook page.