Brotherhood of Bald People Worldwide

MANSFIELD -- Julia Crittendon has taken the old saying about making lemonade out of lemons to heart. Or rather she's taken it to her head, choosing to use the condition that caused her hair to fall out as an avenue to help others. 

The former Mansfield resident recently self published "Metamorphosis: Inspirational Stories of Women Living with Alopecia." The book charts the experiences of 22 women as they dealt with hair loss and what it's like to be a bald woman. 

"People are still hiding from it," Crittendon said, noting when she was diagnosed she found no literature or any support other than from her family. 

"These women are standing up to what was meant to destroy and depress them and are turning it into positive productive energy so that the next woman who loses her 'crown and glory' won't fall victim to what society deems as 'normal.' " 

Two of the women explained their own feelings about living with alopecia to the News Journal via e-mail."I feel honored to have contributed to a book that may inspire and help all who are lucky enough to come across it," Jenn Pendergrast said. "I am totally bald and have finally accepted it." 

A Fort Lauderdale, Fla., resident, she was diagnosed in March 2006. 

She said the book provided a kind of therapy for her. 

"It was actually the first time I put my story into words and I cried the entire time I was writing," Pendergrast, 31, said. "When I was done writing, I felt so good. It felt awesome to put all that had happened into words for others to read."

Finish Article Here:

http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009902090303

Last night on Nightline, Robin Roberts from Good Morning America discussed her breast cancer journey. She specifically addressed the difficulty of losing her hair as a side effect of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Medical hair loss can be devastating, but she has a message: "We are not our hair."

I found a video of this interview on the ABC News website. This link will take you to the page where the video is listed.

http://abcnews.go.com/search?searchtext=robin%20roberts&type=

Julie Olson, Mission Coordinator

Finally! I've been wanting to get this one out for a while. This t-shirt will be available in the online store soon:

Julie Olson, Mission Coordinator

One of the guys on the forum found this today. Thanks Griz!

Julie Olson, Mission Coordinator

Ladies, I found another great website:

BBiBBy is praising the beauty of women, and WOMEN who struggle with self LOVE, inner PEACE, self ACCEPTANCE and lack of self-ESTEEM.

BBiBBy is also glorifying the beauty of bald women! Women who may have Alopecia (an auto-immune deficiency) and those going through treatment due to Cancer. Don't hide anymore!

Click Here to Go to BbiBBy's Website   She's got a terrific MySpace page too!

Julie Olson, Mission Coordinator

I found a great website for women. Read more about the founder, Sharon Blynn. Here's an excerpt and link: 

A fresh-off-the-boat ovarian cancer survivor, I decided that when I finished with my long and winding road of a health journey, I would use my experience and the healing choices that I made for myself to help others learn to flip the script on this beeyotch (sorry), and tap into their inner resources of self-love, self-empowerment, and positive energy to heal themselves in mind, body, and spirit. So Bald Is Beautiful was born.

http://baldisbeautiful.org/about.html