Our family’s journey began some years ago when our daughter was diagnosed with eczema (Atopic Dermatitis). Since then we have come a long way. It has motivated me to work towards increasing awareness about this condition in our country where it is very low. This will not only help my daughter but also countless others sufffering from this condition who have to deal not only with Atopic Dermatitis but also with a society which is not sensitised to this condition and hence increases the level of suffering and pain in myriad ways.

In this regard, the first “Walk for Eczema” in Mumbai was organised by the Eczema Support Group for Parents and my daughter’s dermatologist Dr Manish Shah (under the aegis of IADVL SIG Pediatric Dermatology ) on the 17th of May, Sunday at Bandra West. It was attended by our family, friends and other supporters as well as some prominent dermatologists from South Mumbai. We were able to reach out to many who were attending the Equal Streets Moevement in Bandra and pamphlets about eczema were handed out to them in three different languages.

The success of this walk is measured not only in terms of the number of people we were able to reach out to directly but also in terms of bringing together for the first time parents, patients and dermatologists who walked hand in hand for this common cause. This event has thus helped to pave the way for such future events which will go a long way in increasing awareness in our country.