My daughter, 7, lost her hair to alopecia – she asked me a heartbreaking question after going bald

A mother has shared the heartbreaking emotional toll her young daughter faces after losing all of her hair – which has led to cruel name-calling and rejection from her peers. 

Maggie Grey, 27, from Manchester, says her seven-year-old daughter, Amelia Miah,  has been relentlessly bullied by other children, who refuse to play with her, call her cruel names like “baldy” and joke that she looks like a cancer patient.

Amelia, who was diagnosed with alopecia in 2020, faces an ongoing battle with her confidence as her condition worsens, with all of her thick, glossy black hair – including her eyebrows – now gone.  

The journey began when Amelia was just three years old when Maggie was left ‘horrified’ at discovering small bald patches on her daughter’s head.

But what began with a few concealable patches quickly escalated to total hair loss over the years. 

In 2020, Amelia was officially diagnosed with alopecia, an autoimmune condition that causes the immune system to attack the hair follicles, leaving the scalp and other areas of the body bald.  

Since then, Maggie has watched her daughter’s confidence plummet as she faces stares from strangers and cruel taunts from classmates each day. 

The emotional toll has been devastating for both Amelia and the family, as Maggie shared: ‘It’s breaking my heart and I’m at my wits end. I’ve tried everything and nothing seems to be working. At night, I lay there and just sob.’

Amelia’s self-esteem has taken a hit, as the young girl – who once boasted a mane of thick, dark locks – now faces a painful reminder of her condition each time she looks into the mirror. 

Maggie shared: ‘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.’

Maggie recalls a moment when Amelia asked her to style her hair once it grows back, not realising that it might never return. 

The mother said: ‘It’s killing me; how do I tell her the truth? 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. It’s a battle each and every day.’

As the baldness progresses, Maggie added that her daughter has been left ‘distraught’ as she often has other kids refuse to play with her, as they believe her condition is contagious.

Whilst out in public, Amelia often faces insensitive stares and remarks, as her mother added: ‘If we go out in public, people just stare gormlessly.’ 

Despite trying numerous treatments – from topical creams to hair oils – as well as an ill-fitting wig kindly gifted by a charity, Maggie says nothing has worked for Amelia. 

She explained: ‘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.”‘

Despite these challenges, Maggie is determined to help her daughter regain her confidence, as well as some sense of normalcy. 

She has launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to raise money for a realistic wig that costs £2,500. 

With £3,977 out of £6,000 raised so far, Maggie hopes the wig will help Amelia feel more confident and less isolated.

Maggie said: ‘I hate to see her go through this. 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.’

Maggie now hopes that by sharing her daughter’s story, she is able to find help and connect with other families affected by childhood alopecia. 

She shared: ‘[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.

‘If there is anyone out there [with childhood alopecia] please reach out to me. I don’t care how far it is.’

Maggie added: ‘I’m so proud of Amelia, she is the apple of my eye. 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.’

To donate to Amelia’s GoFundMe fundraiser, visit here.