We are the parents of a beautiful little girl who has had eczema since she was 3 months old.
Dealing with a child with eczema can be a very frustrating, exhausting and upsetting time. The impact – both psychological and financial – is grossly underestimated. It can take a huge toll on families.
In our case, our daughter had eczema all over her body but it was worst on her face and hands, the places she could get to easiest. The sleepless nights were endless – whether it was our daughter who was kept awake with the itch or us being kept awake by the thought of what damage would be done during the night through scratching. We worked so vigilantly to get her skin to heal and it would take a split second for her to undo all that effort and scratch her skin again.
Atopic eczema currently affects 1 in 5 children in most countries in the world, 1 in 4 in some and the cases continue to grow, so there are a lot of us out there dealing with this condition. The causes are still not fully understood. Although we know it is hereditary, research into the genetic causes is still in its infancy.
There is no cure for eczema, it can only be “managed”. We followed all the advice given to us: all her clothing was made with 100% natural fabrics, we used only non-biological washing detergent, fingernails were cut every day, surroundings were kept at a cool temperature, dozens of creams and emollients were tested, we used antihistamines, we used steroid creams, we carried out allergy tests, we attended dermatology clinics, we sought help from a naturopath and we made strict changes to her diet. So, we were well informed on how to manage her eczema but with all this knowledge and implementing it, we still needed to give her some relief from the insatiable itch that would always return.
We were told that she would probably “grow out of” her eczema by the time she was 2, then it was 3, then 4. We are still waiting…
We developed Itchy little monkeys and our products with our daughter in mind. The Shruggi™ complimented the clinical treatments she was receiving and it and broke the itch-scratch cycle. We developed the Max & Mimi characters to combat the stressful process of dealing with eczema and to put some fun back into what can be such a difficult experience. These products have been a life-saver for us and I hope they will be for you too.