Being a mother means becoming so caring towards your little ones that you start to vigorously protect them from anything that could harm them. In most cases, this mother bear instinct is crucial to avoid dangerous situations for our children.
However, there are situations where the desire to protect one’s little ones can cause more harm than good.
This is what happened to Ashley Nagy and her daughter Charlie in Arizona. Charlie was diagnosed with psoriasis at the age of 2 months.
Psoriasis is a skin disease affecting more than 125 million people worldwide. Triggered by stress, food intolerances, and illnesses, psoriasis causes skin eruptions and large red patches on the body during flare-ups.
As she grew up, Ashley managed to reduce the number of flare-ups through a gluten-free and dairy-free diet.
However, Charlie still experiences flare-ups, making her the center of attention for strangers wherever she goes with Ashley.
Often, the mother sees parents distancing their children from Charlie, fearing contagion. Ashley has an excellent way of showing them they are wrong.
“When I push her in the stroller and see people looking at her with pity or trying to move their children away, I gently touch her face and kiss her on the cheek,” says Ashley. Charlie’s kisses and hugs tell others that there is no reason to be afraid.
“I don’t hide her with turtlenecks; I don’t try to conceal her; I put her in shorts, and I’m proud of who she is. I know she’s beautiful.”
At such a young age, a case of psoriasis is quite rare. That’s why Ashley and her husband Andrew call Charlie their “unicorn,” giving a positive connotation to this autoimmune disease.
Ashley hopes that sharing Charlie’s story will help dispel other mothers’ fears about bringing their children around Charlie, giving them the opportunity to meet this little girl whom Ashley considers beautiful inside and out.
“I want people to see that even though she has psoriasis, they don’t have to be afraid to touch her and love her,” emphasizes Ashley.
“I hope they’ll see that she’s not contagious and will show more compassion. She is alive, joyful, very sweet, and sometimes just hilarious.”
