Facing Eczema at Four Months Old
Jaylin Anderson, from Mason City, Iowa, shares her experience of trying to get her daughter’s eczema diagnosed and treated when she was an infant.
Published On: Jan 21, 2025
Last Updated On: Jan 22, 2025
Our eczema journey began in 2014, although we didn’t know it at the time.
My husband, Michael, and I have five children. Our son, Michael “MJ” Jr., has eczema. He was diagnosed at the age of 2. That’s when we first saw dry, red, itchy patches on MJ’s skin. The doctor called it atopic dermatitis and said it was not severe. However, it got progressively worse by the time he turned 5.
MJ’s eczema became severe with terrible flares. We saw it head to toe — on his ears, around his eyes, everywhere we could name on the body. The treatments we were given didn’t help. It was hard for him to even participate in daily activities, go outside or eat the foods he liked. I did extensive research to learn more and find some answers.
In 2021, MJ had a big scare and was hospitalized for seven days. He developed MRSA and staph infections. For four of those days, he had a 104-degree fever. It was so scary, we literally thought we were losing our son. I felt so helpless. We were so glad when he recovered. After that, we started homeschooling MJ to better meet his needs.
People have a misconception about how severe eczema really can be, how debilitating it is. A lot of people think of it as just dry skin and dismiss it as a real condition. I wish we had all the resources and information we have now when we first started seeing MJ’s symptoms.
I didn’t find the National Eczema Association (NEA) until about a year and a half ago. I found so much more than support. The biggest piece for me was finding an organization that is donating to research to find a cure.
MJ is now old enough to participate in decisions about his care. He recently decided to try Dupixent again, and it is working for him this time. We were even able to let him return to public school this past September.
I also founded MJ’s Youth Eczema Foundation to raise awareness about severe eczema and provide grants for medical expenses to families affected by severe pediatric eczema.
My family donates to NEA because we want to fund research toward a cure. We’re confident that NEA is making the best decisions for the eczema community by supporting quality, meaningful research projects.
Your gift changes the lives of the 31 million children and adults living with eczema. Your generosity helps bring better therapies, better care, better outcomes — and one day, potentially, a cure. Donate today.
Jaylin Anderson, from Mason City, Iowa, shares her experience of trying to get her daughter’s eczema diagnosed and treated when she was an infant.
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