We are the parents of Abby Ter Haar who is 14 years old and in the ninth grade. Like most girls her age, Abby is involved in sports and numerous school activities. Unlike most girls, Abby is totally bald. When she was six years old, she was diagnosed with alopecia areata. Within three weeks she had lost all of her hair, and within a few more months she also lost her eyelashes, eyebrows, and all of her body hair.

Abby is a runner and enjoys running long distances in the south Louisiana heat. Our goal was to find a way to raise money for research and awareness of this disease in a way that would be fun for Abby and others. Last year we held the first annual Tortoise and Hair 5K Run/1 Mile Walk. Over 550 runners participated and more than $30,000 was raised to fund grants for research.

As parents, we find ourselves challenged daily with helping our child maintain her dignity and self-confidence. While we cannot grow hair for Abby, we can raise funds to foster research that will one day find a cure or even an effective treatment.

We invite you to join us again this year for the 2008 Tortoise and Hair. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, March 1, 2008!