Changing our world one head at a time!

NAAF and Alopecia World-class members

This year, I was honored to attend my first NAAF annual conference. Of course, I owe the privilege to the phenomenal woman of my dreams, my lovely fiancée Cheryl Carvery. She has attended and participated in the conference for 17 years, and this was the first time she asked her mate to accompany her. I'm delighted that I did because, not only was the conference itself great, but it simply made each of my days there to meet and spend time with so many of the wonderful members of Alopecia World!

Cheryl and I certainly did NOT attend the conference with a marketing mindset. In fact, it was our intention to avoid initiating any conversation about Alopecia World. So, we were pleasantly surprised, indeed, by the great number of people who sought us out and inquired about Alopecia World, expressed their heartfelt appreciation for this beloved community, or congratulated us on the amazing job we've done with AlopeciaWorld.com. We truly felt their unfeigned love and gratitude and were deeply honored and inspired by it.

That's why I need to make it crystal clear that we are indebted to YOU, each and every member of Alopecia World; for it is YOUR insightful, inspiring, compassionate, consistent, and entertaining contributions to our beloved community that has made it everything it is. As Cheryl once commented, YOU, the richly diverse members of Alopecia World, have taken this to whole new levels. We see it. We acknowledge it. We encourage it. And we certainly love and appreciate every one of you for it.

Wishing you great joy and good success,

rj, Co-founder
Alopecia World
www.alopeciaworld.com/profile/iamrj

6 Comments

Comment by Roger on June 30, 2008 at 5:39am: Thanks again for this wonderful community. Ive met lots of great people here and also face to face at the Louisville NAAF conference.

Hugs, Roger.

Comment by Carol on July 2, 2008 at 8:51am: Your welcome! Thank you for providing such a wonderful place for us to come. We've all learned a lot and I'm glad to have made such great friends along the way!

Comment by Crowned Regal on July 3, 2008 at 3:31pm: This brought tears to my eyes. When I lost my hair( June 2007) there wasn't a lot of resources available and I struggled thinking how alone I was. Now what I am seeing is this emergence of beautiful people with a common thread all in one place. Not only am I seeing this emergence of people gathering in one place, but more importantly I am witnessing a movement of people helping people. While our approaches might be different, our message is the same, "Acceptance!",...pure and simple. I don't feel like the "odd person out" or feel "not normal". We are bald and oh so, "Beautifully Human"....no THANK YOU!

Comment by Gena King on July 11, 2008 at 9:13pm: I was the one from louisville who "snuck in"to the dance. lol. Soon as I walked in I was in ahh of all of the people who have this. Every ones the same but every ones different. I have a new found confidence. I will be in Texas next year. Bald is beautiful and Thank you.

Comment by KATHLEEN WEIBE on July 14, 2008 at 11:34am: THANK YOU FOR GIVING US A PLACE WE CAN CALL HOME. ITS SO WONERFUL THAT WE ARE ALL HERE TO UNITE. ACTUALLY ITS THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by Bogie on July 14, 2008 at 6:35pm: I never knew anyone else on Earth who had it until I was over 40...so that was 30 years of isolation and hiding. How much better times, acceptance...and this site...are for those with Alopecia!