What the Hell
If you were born in Springfield, MA or the immediate vicinity between 1977-1979, read on.
I have an autoimmune disease. Actually I have 2 now. I was diagnosed with rhumatoid arthritis when I was 6. Within the last year, I developed a skin condition called vitiliago, where large patches of my skin are losing their pigment. Here's where it gets weird.
Matthew, born 1977, developed Crohn's disease, a painful inflammatory bowel symdrome in his teen years.
Adrienne, born 1979, developed alopecia, a disease resulting in total hair loss, when she was an adolecent.
Cora, born 1978, has just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a disease where brain and spinal cord tissues are damaged resulting in loss of muscle control, vision, balance, sensation (such as numbness) or thinking ability. I just saw Cora a month ago; she worked weekends at the neighborhood Vet clinic. My mother saw a flyer for a benefit for her and that's how we found out.
We all grew up within 1 block of eachother.
All are Autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases are those whereby the body's immune system, which normally targets and destroys substances foreign to the body such as bacteria, mistakenly attacks normal tissues. All of us were born within years of each other. All of us were born in Springfield, MA (I think). I am going to look into this. Were our mothers seen by the same doctor? Did they take any prenatal weird drugs? Was there something in the water back in the late 70s?
If you were born in Springfield between 1977-1979, and have developed an autoimmune disease, please email me at erin@erinhagopian.com
posted by Erin Hagopian @ 8:57 PM
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