'God knew I was going to lose my hair so I don't have to worry about it'

By Christina Lent

The Beaverton Valley Times, Apr 17, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (2 Reader comments)

Jonathan House / The Beaverton Valley Times

Brooke Ferguson has turned her hair loss from alopecia areata into something that makes her feel special and unique. Her strength inspires others to embrace their differences.

ADVERTISEMENTS

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation has a star ambassador in Brooke Ferguson.

The engaging 10-year-old isn’t afraid to champion others living with the autoimmune disease.

She visited a school in North Portland to speak up for a third-grade boy being teased for being bald.

Before entering her new school, she stood in front of an assembly educating her peers about the non-contagious medical condition that prompted her to shave her head.

And, the confident fourth-grader inspired the Errol Hassell Elementary School community to host a Locks of Love event during the April 26 carnival to allow families to donate their hair for the creation of wigs for children with medical conditions that cause hair loss.

“Brooke has done such an amazing job of teaching others and that is a remarkable feat for someone so young,” said Errol Hassell Principal Teresa Clemens-Brower. “She has an inner beauty and spark that just shine through.

“Her resilience impresses me. Brooke has experienced some difficult things, but at the same time, she has a willingness to go with the flow, change and make the best of every situation. By Brooke being so open, she’s taught our students not to make assumptions about others based on first impressions and appearances.”

A few years ago, Brooke was diagnosed with alopecia areata, a highly unpredictable, autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body.

“When Brooke was 7, I was playing with her hair when I found a little bald patch,” recalled Denise Ferguson, Brooke’s mom. “It was smooth and perfectly round.”

After making sure none of Brooke’s older siblings had done something to her hair, Denise called a doctor and took Brooke in for a visit, where she learned her daughter had alopecia areata.

Wanting to learn more about the condition, Denise and her husband Scott looked it up on the Internet.

“I remember thinking, ‘Oh my goodness,’” Denise said. “I was devastated. Brooke had no idea that over time she would become bald.

“As her mom, I know what she’s up against when she walks out the door. I think it was harder on me than it was for her.”

Brooke nodded her head in agreement.

“When I lost 60 to 70 percent of my hair, I just decided to shave it off,” Brooke said matter-of-factly.

Looking over at her mom, she talked about Denise’s resistance to the idea at first.

“I kept telling her, ‘I want to do it. Don’t worry, I’m sure,’” Brooke said.

Two weeks later the then 8-year-old convinced her parents it was time and the whole family took turns cutting off little ponytails.

“It was a pretty special event,” Denise said. “What convinced me that it was time was when Brooke told me, ‘God knew I was going to lose my hair so I don’t have to worry about it.’

1 | 2 Next Page >>