Thornton family affected by alopecia areata promotes awareness, kindness

A conference in Denver is bringing together patients and experts to share insights on a disease that affects some seven million Americans. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that attacks the body's hair follicles, causing hair loss.

A Thornton family was selected as "hosts" for the meeting of the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

At the age of three, Joshua Hernandez began losing patches of hair.

Then eventually all of it.

Joshua's mom, Melanie Hernandez told us, "Alopecia just is, your hair falling out, it doesn't affect anything else in your body. It's not contagious. You can't catch it. It's not hereditary."

No hair? Don't care. That's Joshua's approach.

Six years old now and a rising first grader, he tells others his body just doesn't like hair.

Big sisters Jazmine and Juliana educate others about alopecia.

"They're very protective of him. So if they hear somebody talking about him or pointing at him, usually they'll say, hey, do you have a question? You know, it's not nice to point just because he doesn't have hair," Hernandez said.

Hernandez has also stepped up to ensure students and teachers at school are informed.  She arranged to have visitors to Joshua's school from CAP - the Children's Alopecia Project. Kids were encouraged to unleash their curiosity.

She said, "He got to answer those questions instead of feeling like he was just going to get picked on because he didn't have hair."

Close from the start, the Hernandez family is even stronger now. 

Inspired by the confidence of their youngest.

She concluded, "He's just so resilient. And kids are so real and brilliant as it is when they're younger, but I think it's just important to be kind to everybody, no matter the differences."

The Hernandezs are part of a supportive community of families affected by alopecia.

To learn more, visit https://www.naaf.org/ | https://www.childrensalopeciaproject.org/