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Lena is a 26-year-old Austrian born with the rare, genetic skin condition epidermolysis bullosa. She works with DEBRA Austria, an organization that supports “butterfly children,” and with another NGO which functions as an umbrella organization for rare diseases in Austria. She loves to be with family and friends, travel, sing, do sports, eat brunch, read, and spend time in solitude — especially if near the sea. I am in the middle of a big change. It feels like one season of my life is ending, and a new one is slowly beginning. I’m experiencing changes in scenery, people, job, and mindset. I’m ready for something new. But these changes involve a lot of uncertainty, which is…
I live with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare skin condition that makes my skin as fragile as the wings of a butterfly. That’s why we are called “butterfly children.” I like that name. It makes the disease sound beautiful and innocent, even if it is not. But it’s not…
The skin is the body’s largest organ, with a total surface area of about 22 square feet. The skin protects us from microbes and the elements, helps regulate body temperature, and permits the sensations of touch, heat, and cold. In my case, my skin is “special.” I live with…
Last week, I tried something new, something I never thought I could do because of my condition. Many people told me I couldn’t do it, even though it’s a normal experience for most people. A new opportunity My boyfriend opened a restaurant, and I offered to help out during…
This month, I want more diversity. I want to see more reality in the media and in advertisements and commercials. Show us real people who have stretch marks, scars, and imperfections, because that’s normal. Normalize different body types I want society to normalize different body types and to stop body…
This month, I was once again impressed by how well connected the epidermolysis bullosa (EB) community is. I remember when I was younger, no such connection existed on social media like we have today. Rare is many – but not always locally As EB is a rare disease, only a…
A few days ago, a friend working in healthcare communications asked: “What does rare mean for you?” It got me thinking. I answered: “Rare is something special, something unique. Something that doesn’t exist very often. But also, it’s something you should not forget about, something you shouldn’t oversee. Are we…
This year, I want to say thank you. Thank you, 2020! I know that many will think, “Why ‘thank you’? Are you crazy?” But no — I just want to be happy. Many people were, or still are, hating on 2020. They wanted it to end so badly, as if…
I know, normally we associate love with February because of Valentine’s Day and all. I even wrote a column about love in February. But isn’t Christmas also a time of love? Love for our family, our loved ones, ourselves, and life in general. Everything should slow down. During Christmas,…
It’s getting dark earlier, and it’s cold and gray where I live. The fallen leaves have lost their shades of yellow, red, and green, and are now a mélange of brown. Mist coats the rooftops of Vienna, muting and calming the shining Christmas lights. Change is coming. I must accept…
This month, one of my childhood dreams came true. Ever since I was 15, I secretly wanted to be a model. But because I have scars on my body due to epidermolysis bullosa, my dream was hard to achieve. What is acceptance? I liked myself in pictures that were shot…
Living with a rare disease, all I wanted my entire life was to be “normal” and to fit in. But I’ve since changed my mind. Not only have I learned to enjoy being “different” and thriving with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), but also I think I want to be more than…
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