A Seventh Grader’s Tips for a Great School Year

Laurel is a 12-year-old girl with ectodermal dysplasia who wants to share her school experience with other affected kids. Learn what she has to say about teaching teachers, having an IEP, managing PE and handling bullies.

What I Would Tell My Middle School Self

For her entire life, dentists told Finlay she would have to wait till adulthood to get treatment for her missing teeth. They didn’t seem to understand how having missing and misshapen teeth was affecting her. Find out what her frustrated parents did to get her treatment and how this experience has impacted the teenager’s outlook.

Longing for a Community of People Who Understand

Nicholle was searching for someone who understood what it’s like to always smile with your lips closed so people don’t see your missing teeth. Who know how frustrating it is to visit dentist after dentist trying to find someone who actually wants to treat you. Were there adults out there who know the pressure of trying to find more than $30,000 just so you can have teeth to bite into chicken with? Read her story to learn about her search and how she’s relieved to no longer feel so alone.

Caring for Our HED Baby Down Under

Our story of parenting our son, Ruben, during his first year is one of instinct and intuition, as we didn’t know until 16 months that Ruben’s collection of features amounted to something called hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED). There’s no known ectodermal dysplasia in our families. We’d been asking all the right questions about our fluffy-haired, dry-skinned, hot-bodied babe, but it wasn’t until I mentioned our son’s toothlessness to his older brother’s dentist, that an answer was offered.

New Guide to Help With Your HED Baby’s First Year

We’re excited to share with our community a new guide to help families navigate the first year of life for their baby affected by hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED). It’s a wonderful resource whether HED runs in your family or you’re brand new to the disorder.

Little Girl with Goltz Syndrome is Born A Fighter

Katherine Watts is a two and half year old little girl in Virginia who’s going places. Figuratively and literally. This little lady is in constant motion and is also quite the fighter. Since she was in the womb, she’s had a team of doctors who care for her many complex symptoms caused by Goltz syndrome. Learn about her challenges and what her parents had to learn quickly.

Pushing the Limit: Running a Marathon Without Breaking a Sweat

Growing up, Adam Viccaro wanted to be like his dad, who was a marathoner and Ironman. Determined, Adam found ways to adapt to his inability to sweat due to hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED.) He shares what he learned in training his body and mind to do the unthinkable: running a marathon when you can’t sweat. His incredible story will inspire you to believe you can do anything!