Aadam

Aadam was diagnosed with eczema as a baby when he began itching, scratching and crying a lot from the pain. His parents have invested a lot of time and money into finding solutions, including through private health insurance. He was eventually referred to a large, specialist children’s hospital at which point “everything changed”. The dermatology department at this hospital have helped enormously throughout the years and his eczema has greatly improved since he was 14. Aadam also has a rare eye condition related to eczema which the specialist hospital knew all about. Aadam feels that the staff at the hospital have really wanted to understand him and his condition to help in the best possible way. This is in contrast to his experience of previous GPs who have not always been very supportive but have been useful in giving dermatology referrals. 

Aadam’s eczema mainly affects his hands, face, legs and arms. Aadam is also allergic to nuts, grass, trees and dust mites. He has had severe allergic reactions before which have required hospitalisation, steroids and oxygen. Aadam had immunotherapy for over 4 years to help him tolerate allergens such as grass and trees. Aadam find stress to be a major factor for flaring up his eczema and he uses strategies like distracting himself by playing video games.

Having eczema was very difficult for Aadam in childhood and it had a big impact on his life. He remembers how much he used to hate his eczema treatments. He disliked the creams and ointments because they were greasy and he feels that they make him look “sticky” and “sweaty”. It was only as he got older that he understood how helpful the creams and ointments could be. Aadam was also picked on at school by peers who said that he had “old man’s hands” because the eczema would cause them to become wrinkly. Aadam has always felt quite “different” and says that his eczema has made him a more self-conscious person, both in terms of his appearance and the impression people might have of him. Aadam is very aware of the way his skin looks and prefers to conceal his eczema flare ups by, for example, wearing long sleeved tops. He also grows out his facial hair to conceal some of the eczema and because he finds that shaving is very irritating, although it can also become itchy if the beard hairs get too long.

Aadam has had some bad reactions to some treatments before, such as Protopic which brought him out in a bruise-like rash. He has been surprised by how effective some shop-bought creams have been, such as Vaseline. Hydrocortisone cream has made a huge difference to the eczema on his hands and he has used lots of strong steroid creams, although he has concerns about the side effects and long term impacts of using steroid creams, especially on sensitive areas like his face. Aadam has recently been transferred from a children’s dermatology clinic to adult services and he has found this change difficult. The adult hospital has not been as knowledgeable as the children’s specialist hospital, especially with regard to his eye condition. 

Aadam’s parents used to help him with eczema treatments when he was little, such as by applying bandages to him to help the skin heal. He says that his parents have been very supportive: his dad has given lots of practical help and his mum often looks for new solutions as well as contacting support organisations. Aadam has also done a lot of research himself and knows how to manage his eczema very well now. 

His experience of growing up with eczema inspired Aadam to write a story book for other children affected. Fixers UK helped him develop and produce ‘Itchy Witchy’, supporting him in finding an illustrator and distributing the book. Since writing ‘Itchy Witchy’, Aadam has given talks at schools, made several media appearances and had a lot of positive feedback, including from parents whose children have eczema. He was also awarded a Diana Courageous Citizen Award and has met the Prime Minister. It means a lot to Aadam to be acknowledged and to be able to help children and young people with eczema and he thinks that there should be more mental and emotional support available.