A woman struggling with alopecia her whole life is inspiring others to learn to accept themselves regardless of any condition they might have.
Jo McAllister started losing her hair when she was only a toddler. The autoimmune skin disease progressed from just a few bald spots to total hair loss on her scalp. When she grew older, her condition advanced to alopecia universalis, which means she now doesn’t have hair on any part of her body.
Alopecia affects approximately more than 6.5 million people in America. It occurs when the “immune system attacks the hair follicles,” Dr. Partha Nandi explained to Detroit’s WXYZ-TV.
But, the Michigan resident doesn't let the condition hold her back from living a full life, just like Brenda Finn, who started modeling despite having alopecia. The mother of two is now inspiring others by speaking out and proudly showing off her bald head to the world.
Continue on to read her full inspirational story below…
Jo McAllister's struggles with alopecia began when she was a toddler.
Her parents spent a lot of money for medical tests and tried every possible remedy they heard of, like having her eat a head of cabbage each day.
Nothing worked and the autoimmune skin disease eventually led to her complete hair loss.
Jo would wear fake hairpieces to school in an attempt to hide her hair loss. But, students still teased her and would sometimes even rip her wig off her head.
“I would always like to sit in the back of the class so nobody could sit behind me,” she told Detroit’s WXYZ-TV. “When you’re wearing these synthetic pieces, you get the wefts and people can see through them or they can have the opportunity to pull them off.”
But she didn't let any taunts tear her drown. She stopped holding on to false hope that her hair would grow back and aimed to find a suitable solution.
Today, she’s proudly showing off her bald head and also encouraging other patients to embrace themselves despite their condition.
She enthusiastically speaks of wearing special custom-made wigs from the Resilience Hair Group. These hairpieces have a suction cup that allows them to stick to the head. They don’t itch and are made of natural hair.
"I can have different styles," she said. "My husband loves it!"
The mother of two also refuses to let her condition stop her from living life to the fullest.
“It’s great because you can go swimming, you can go tubing, you can go on a roller coaster,” she said of her wigs. “I can do all sorts of activities.”
The strong woman who faced bullying much of her life, also has advice for others: “Be your most true self. Be who you are. Be strong. If people are teasing you, don’t let that get you down.”
Watch her full interview below...
Jo McAllister is a great example of a strong person who doesn't let an uncontrollable situation define who she is.
Please SHARE her story to inspire others to take on the world with this beautiful woman's confidence!
