She even recalled a specific moment where a mother pulled her child away from Charlie at the mall:
“I remember being in an elevator and I saw a little girl walk up to Charlie. She held her hand and the mom pulled her away. I thought, ‘Oh, she probably thinks she’s contagious.’ So I just picked her up, held her, and kissed on her. That time I explained that it was psoriasis and her daughter couldn’t catch it. From then on, I started putting my hand on her arm or cheek, just to show that other people can’t catch it.”
“I don’t think people are trying to be cruel,” explained Ashley. “They just want to be cautious, and don’t want to catch it. I also don’t want people to feel uncomfortable and am not confrontational.”
Now this mother is on a mission to raise awareness about psoriasis so that others can gain a better understanding of the disease.
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Ashley now makes it a point to kiss and cuddle her daughter in public as much as she can to send the message that psoriasis is not nearly as scary as it seems.
But like any mother would, she often wishes she could take her baby’s place.
“My husband and I always say, ‘God, give it to me. Why does she have to go through it?’”
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On top of hosting a 5K fundraiser for psoriasis awareness and launching a GoFundMe, the mother has created an Instagram account documenting her daughter’s journey.
Her mission?
Simply to encourage kindness and love. Two things our world could certainly use a little more of.
“My mission right now is to raise awareness of psoriasis,” shares Ashley. “So many people have heard the word but don’t know what it looks like, or what the emotional trauma people with psoriasis go through […] I also want to encourage people to be kind to one another. You never know another person is going through. But no matter what your child is going through, be their advocate, and love them no matter what.”
In the process of raising awareness, Ashley also hopes to raise a strong, fearless daughter who doesn’t feel ashamed to walk out in public.
“I also want to raise my daughter to be a fearless and confident woman. As a mom, I want to make sure she knows her worth.”
And her worth is NOT dictated by the condition of her skin, but the condition of her heart.
Kudos to this strong mama for advocating for her daughter and spreading a much needed message to America.
Charlie, psoriasis or not, you are surely fearfully and wonderfully made. 💛
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“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” ~Psalm 139:14
