Psoriasis Cure Now Back to School Podcast - Children with psoriasis

Welcome to our "Back to School" podcast. Our topic is how to help children with psoriasis, and our guest is Amy Paller, MD, the Walter J. Hamlin Professor and Chair of Dermatology, Professor of Pediatrics, at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Or to be more blunt: Dr. Paller is one of the nation's leading pediatric dermatologists and an expert on psoriasis in children. Everyone who knows a child with psoriasis should hear this interview, which discusses treatment strategies for psoriasis in children, what to tell a child's teacher about the disease, and how to address the emotional impact of psoriasis that can significantly impair a child's quality of life. Following that interview, we review a children's book, called "Oh, Yuck!" that discusses gross things like maggots, worms, and yes, psoriasis. And we close with a beautiful song by singer-songwriter Kevin Burdick, a psoriasis patient since age 15.

You can listen to this month's program right here:



You can also listen to it via iTunes; or you can click on the orange feed icon for other easy ways to subscribe to Psoriasis Cure Now podcasts:

We also want to tell you about another great resource we have available for parents of children with psoriasis. Our PsoriasisKids.org campaign is launching with this podcast and with our Back to School Fact Sheet about psoriasis in children. It fits on both sides of a single sheet of paper, and you should give it to your child's teachers, coaches, school nurse, etc., so that everyone caring for your child during the day knows the facts about psoriasis, how it can affect children, and how that educator can help alleviate the challenges psoriasis poses for kids. The sheet was designed with input by parents, teachers, people who had psoriasis as children and a dermatologist with extensive experience treating psoriasis. Download it FREE from PsoriasisKids.org. We hope it helps.

As discussed in the interview, new research confirms what we suspected all along: psoriasis in children impairs quality of life comparably to other chronic diseases that have traditionally been seen as more detrimental than psoriasis, like asthma, epilepsy and diabetes. So we need to keep a close watch on how children with psoriasis are faring.

Our book feature discusses "Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty." The book includes sections on lice, maggots, vomit, snot and ... PSORIASIS. We were at first horrified, but perhaps children consdier it a badge of honor to be included in the upside down world of kids where gross is good? Is this offensive, or is it high praise? How would a boy or girl with psoriasis feel about it? Let us know what you think by emailing us at podcast AT psoriasis-cure-now.org, or by calling our automated comment line in Maryland at 240-450-2665. Remember: we may publish your comments on our website or in a future podcast, unless you ask us not to. We look forward to hearing from you!

The song that closes this podcast is "In Your Cocoon" by Salt Lake City-based singer-songwriter Kevin Burdick. Kevin suffered his first serious bout with psoriasis at the age of 15, and this song invokes how psoriasis impacted a relationship Kevin had. To hear more music from and learn more about the life of this talented musician, visit Kevin Burdick online.

Kevin Burdick has flourished despite his struggles with childhood psoriasis. Let's do all we can to ensure that every child with psoriasis can be happy and pursue his or her dreams.

Thanks for listening, and we'll be back with a new podcast in September. Don't forget to visit PsoriasisKids.org for more on children with psoriasis.