A mum has revealed her daughter’s emotional battle after losing all of her hair – and says that kids refuse to play with her and call her cruel names.
Maggie Grey has to take on the “heartbreaking” task each day of reminding her seven-year-old that she’s still beautiful.
Amelia Miah used to have thick, black glossy locks, until a few years ago.
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The 27-year-old mother was left “horrified” when noticing a couple of bald patches on her little girl’s head, and, over the next few years, this quickly turned into complete hair loss.
Now, she faces being asked if she has cancer, called names and often has other kids refuse to play with her, as they believe her condition is contagious.
It’s left Amelia and Maggie “distraught” and as the baldness progresses, so does the emotional impact.
“It’s breaking my heart and I’m at my wits end,” the full-time carer, from Manchester, told Need To Know.
“I’ve tried everything and nothing seems to be working.
“At night, I lay there and just sob.
“Whenever she looks in the mirror, I see her face completely drop.
“It’s turned my once happy and bubbly girl into someone who is constantly upset.
“The other day, she showed me a hair style that she wants me to do when it all comes back; it’s killing me, how do I tell her the truth?
“She has been bullied so many times, with other kids calling her names like ‘baldy’ that’s just so cruel.
“If we go out in public, people just stare gormlessly.
“It’s a battle each and every day.
“Doctors are now saying it’s likely her hair will never grow back, something which I have to find the courage to tell her.
“And it’s only getting worse.”
Amelia Miah, who has three siblings [not named for privacy reasons], started experiencing hair loss aged three, before all but one section disappeared two years later.
In 2020, she was diagnosed with alopecia, an autoimmune condition which attacks the hair follicles, and affects around 100,000 people in the UK, according to Pfizer.
Since then, a charity provided a wig, but it didn’t fit properly, and she’s had other forms of treatment, but with little success.
Maggie said: “It’s been a constant cycle of different creams that haven’t done anything and seeing lots of medical professionals who keep telling me there isn’t anything else they can do.
“I’ve also tried all sorts of hair oils that are said to promote hair growth, but nothing.
“The worst part is that she doesn’t understand what’s going on and wonders why she hasn’t got hair like me.
“I told her that I’ll shave mine off so we look the same, but she just says: ‘No mum, you’re not going to be ugly like me.’“
As of the last few weeks, all of her locks have gone, including her eyebrows beginning to disappear, too.
Now, the mum is sharing her daughter’s story in the hopes that someone out there is able to help and to find other children with alopecia.
She is also looking to raise funds to buy a realistic wig – costing an initial £2,500 – with the aim that Amelia Miah will be able to live like a “normal child” once again.
Currently, the GoFundMe has £3,977 out of £6,000.
Maggie added: “I hate to see her go through this.
“I fear that she’ll be badly bullied in secondary school and that she’ll be feeling left out.
“There are no words to explain the fear inside of me.
“This should be the happiest years of her life, yet it’s filled with constant turmoil.
“If she can get this wig, then it would make her the happiest kid in the world.
“I would be forever grateful – words can’t explain how much it would mean to me.
“[If you’re going through this] please know, you’re not alone.
“Stay strong, try your best not to let your baby see you upset.
“I’m so proud of Amelia, she is the apple of my eye.
“If there is anyone out there [with childhood alopecia] please reach out to me.
“I don’t care how far it is.
“I’ll walk to the end of the world and back just to make her happy and feel like she’s not alone in this battle.”
