11-year-old Toledo-area girl raises alopecia awareness

When GRAND RAPIDS — 11-year-old Emma Dye started finding clumps of her hair on her pillow over the summer, she and her family were confused.

Why would an otherwise healthy little girl have a patch of hair missing?

Her father, Mike Dye, thought she had cut her hair with a pair of scissors. Or perhaps she burned herself with a hair straightener.

A doctor provided the family with a different explanation: Emma had alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease affecting 6.8 million people in the U.S. Hair follicles are attacked by the body’s own white blood cells, impeding the hair growth process.

“At first, I don’t think she quite understood what was going on,” said Jennifer Angel, Emma’s stepmother. “She was having a hard time being that she was just about to start junior high and large patches of her hair were falling out.”

Emma — who plays softball and soccer — made the brave decision to shave her head shortly after, saying “there were only two patches left.”

“I was the one to cut her hair, and I started crying,” Ms. Dye said. “She had tears, her dad was crying. As soon as she stood up, she hugged us, and said it was OK. She held it together better than we did.”

The next day, Emma boarded the bus to Otsego Junior High School wearing a hat. She said she was embarrassed, but that changed in a hurry.

Her best friend told her she was beautiful, and instructed Emma to keep her hat off all day. She still hasn’t put it back on.

“I did it because half my hair was out and I didn’t want anyone to see,” Emma said. “[My friend] kept chanting, ‘Bald is beautiful!’”

Kids at school have been supportive and kind for the most part. Her parents met with school officials before classes resumed in the fall.

“We wanted to make them aware and didn’t want any issues with people picking on her,” Mr. Dye said. “Kids can be cruel. The school has been amazing. I think only one time did someone say something, and the school was right on top of it.”

Emma’s parents are avid softball players in the Toledo area, and the softball community came together to raise $575 for the family. Rachel Fioritto painted floral designs on Emma’s head for the benefit.