Hi, if you don't know by now, my name is David. I am indeed the founder of StoryAidHelp. Over the years, I've been told many different things and been called many different things too. Some examples could be; weird-looking, disgusting, ugly, and my favorite of all... Baldy. Yes, I am bald, and yes, I do have a skin condition that was not of my choosing, but at this point in life, I am really happy I have this skin condition. This changes everything for me. But before we get here and explain why this skin condition changed my life, we have to talk about the very beginning. Some I remember and some I don't. Let's start off with what I don't remember because I was so young. I was born in Tianjin, China. That whole area is polluted and of course, I was near a bunch of industrial factories. At the age of 1.5, I was left on the streets of the same province that I was born in. What could a 1.5-year-old guy do in the busy streets? I can't remember what I felt or what I could have felt. I don't know if it was a rainy day, a blazing day, or a moderate day. I don't know why my biological parents decided to give up on me... or maybe they didn't give up on me but that doesn't really matter because I am not in their custody now. I wish I could have been old enough to understand the decision that they have made.

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I don't exactly know where to start. I honestly don't know the order of what I'm about to talk about. My first day at the orphanage came to close, and it was time to go "home." But where was "home", that I didn't know. I remember meeting a friend during the day and he was walking over to me because I didn't know where I was going. I remember feeling embarrassed asking him where I was supposed to go. Every student takes a bus home every night. This is a two-way transport for students as they pick up and drop off at their respective places. I wasn't sure what bus I was assigned to, so I asked my friend, and he asked the adult. From there, I'm not sure what happened. It is a bit fuzzy in my memory. Anyways, going forward a little bit, I apparently was in the same foster home as my friend, and we got to know each other pretty well. I gained a daily schedule in my brain. Wake up, no breakfast, just get on the bus. We could get to the orphanage/ school and we would be there for the whole day and take the bus home. At the school, it was a constant repeat of schedule. I don't remember what the schedule was since it's been a hot minute but it was brutal. Maybe my brain just can't remember it. If we flash a few years forward, the schedule changed. 

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When I was about 4 years old, I was staged in a hospital for some type of illness. Something just didn't look right about me. No one knew what it was. There were tests done here and there and a lot of different scans but nothing showed up for anything. I was in that hospital for about a month and was sent back home. That month was the best month of my life. I wasn't torched, abused, or accused of by anyone. I was happy and enjoyed things that I've never been able to enjoy. When I got released, I was back into the toxic environment again. Something snapped inside me and I vowed to help my siblings not get abused anymore. Over and over, I was the guy who was at fault. I stood up only to be knocked down again. I took my sibling's blame and got more torcher. Sometimes it got so bad that I couldn't walk for a day or more. Then one day, everything changed.

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This was the first day I was cut from my playtime. Note that when it's "play time", this is truly the best day of everyone's lives because we barely ever get to just play. There was this facility that had equipment and objects that isn't in any homes, restaurants, factories, or even the orphanage. The orphanage was a gated-off area that had a few factories, an orphanage school, a few factories, a facility that held kids' dreams (aka: "playground"), a hospital, and a medium-sized outdoor area. When I got pulled, I was super disappointed. I was put into a room that I'd never been to before, and there were three people that I'd never met. I don't remember the conversation at all and I can't tell you what was asked or what I responded with. I don't know the facial expressions and I don't know anything that happened. It didn't make sense to me at all. Truly didn't. 

Life went on as usual although there were a few things that changed. I was seen at the hospital more often and I was taking some new medicine that would help with my running noise. At the time, I had so many allergies to that place because of pollution and other things my nose wouldn't stop running. I don't really know what the medicine was but I know for a fact that it didn't help one bit. Later on, I was told to pack up all my things and I was not going to come back. Never coming back?!?! I was shocked, to say the least. I didn't know what that statement was. Was that even a statement? Maybe it was a question? My mind never comprehended anything more than how many chicken nuggets I wanted just a few days prior. This day changed my life. I was getting adopted. 

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Back then, I didn't know what "getting adopted" meant and I am most certainly positive my fellow mates didn't either. Learning that your life is about to change really screws you up. Yet for me, it didn't. Or so I thought. That same day, I visited my orphanage one last time, and to celebrate whatever was happening, I decided to empty out my whole train-designed kids' backpack and give out ALL of my candy to my classmates and teachers. That was the happiest day of my life. My classmates and my teachers did something that they had never done since I'd been there. They smiled. They smiled. They... smiled. But at what? To this day I still have to wonder. 

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In the next few months, there were so many first times for me. I couldn't comprehend everything. My parents spoke English, my brother spoke English, and there was an interpreter, but I didn't care to speak to him apparently, and I had so many questions that I didn't know how to ask. Two weeks after coming to the USA, I was put into first grade. Just like that, I was in first grade, in a new school, in a school that helped me. Most of the kids were mean to me because of who knows what, but I feel like after all these years, people who know me can somehow relate or understand that I'm different and know I can be the best version of myself even though I might look different. Throughout elementary school, middle school, and now entering my sophomore year as of 7/8/2024, I have learned a lot, and I have been through a lot. 

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I had the true pleasure of starting StoryAidHelp in the summer of 2022. The specific date was July 25, 2022. I have had supporters, doubters, and haters but nothing can stop me from creating the best version of myself here in this world except myself. I promise as the founder of StoryAidHelp to create the environment that everyone ones to believe, support, and live in. An environment that is full of love, compassion, grief, supporters, and hearts full of gratitude and gold. Life is great if you choose to believe in yourself and in your friends and family. 
 

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That is "David's Rise to Glory." Thank you.

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EXTRAS

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At my foster home, I barely got food. In the morning, I was sent to school with all my other foster siblings, and we weren't able to eat anything. Our biggest meal was lunch. The school had amazing food and food that we never get to eat at home. When we get home, dinner is based on tomato soup. This was a mean plan every day. On top of that, we only got one spoonful of soup for dinner. There were no seconds and dessert. Everyone in my house except my parents was really thin, mostly because of this behavior shown by my parents. On the other hand, my parents were huge meal animals. They ate luxury foods... at least to us (my siblings and I). They got full-course meals like an all-you-can-eat buffet. 

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​IFAP, also known as Ichthyosis follicularis - alopecia - photophobia syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the triad of ichthyosis follicularis, alopecia, and photophobia from birth. It is an extremely rare condition, with only 40 known cases reported until 2011. Some extra characteristics could be short stature, mental retardation, seizures, and a tendency for respiratory infections. The IFAP syndrome is a rare X-linked genetic disorder. (Parts from NIH) Read here about IFAP from the NIH National Library of Medicine. Below is a chart for inheritance. 

I am super, super lucky to only have a few of the aspects that are on the chart on the website. There are many others who have it so much worse. Being bullied for many many years, I can't imagine what they have to go through. At this point, most people would want to be pulled from public schools if they were attending one and homeschooling or stopping school altogether at the legal age. It is truly hard to get and stay motivated when you know there are people out there constantly putting you down but we also need to learn that there are people who will help raise us up. 

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PTSD VS PNES:

1. "PTSD is a mental health disorder resulting from exposure to traumatic events, leading to persistent symptoms of anxiety, depression, and hypervigilance. PNES, on the other hand, is a conversion disorder characterized by seizures or seizure-like episodes without any underlying neurological abnormality."

2. "The severity of PTSD symptoms appears to differentiate PNES patients from those with Epileptic Seizures (ES). PNES patients often exhibit more severe PTSD symptoms, which may contribute to their higher risk of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts."

3. "Both conditions are associated with traumatic exposure, but PNES patients may experience a higher prevalence of PTSD symptoms due to the severity and impact of their traumatic events."

(Quoted from these sources - NIH 1 l NIH 2 l MEDPAGE TODAY l frontiers​​)