14-Year-Old Boy Spent His Life In Bandages Because of His Skin Disease

14-Year-Old John Dilgen, from Staten Island, New York, was born with a strange and rare skin disease. He had no skin on his legs and arms when he was born. John’s disease is incurable which due to which his skin fall of even with the slightest touch. The little boy was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, EB – Epidermolysis Bullosa, due to which his skin blister, burst and leaving raw sores to infections. He spent all his life wrapped in bandages to prevent his skin from damage and falling.

Early Diagnosis

W hen he was 16 months old he was diagnosed with Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa. It is a more grave form of the disease which causes difficulty eating and swallowing. It has also some other bad affects including loss in fingernails and toenails, anemia and failure to thrive.

His Disease

EB is a result of missing type VII collagen. It is a type of protein which helps the top layer to skin to be bind with the other layers under it. This is because of his skin cannot stay on his body and continuously fallen eve with soft touch.

Fund Raising

John needs and oxygenated tub making his baths less painful and his family is lack of sufficient financial resources to buy it. They have started a campaign for fund raising for him and luckily strangers came forward and donate for him. Family is successfully has made over $108,361, of the original target of $40,000.