Charlie Knuth, a 13-year-old boy from Darboy, Wisconsin, suffers from a rare disease called ‘epidermolysis bullosa,’ in which his skin and pores develop blisters even on the slightest contact. And now he has been diagnosed with cancer.
His mother and father adopted him after he was abandoned at the hospital as a child.
Also called “butterfly skin” disease, epidermolysis bullosa is a “rare genetic tissue dysfunction that causes the pores and skin to blister and burst, leaving uncooked sores which might be inclined to infections.”
Charlie has been living with this condition, which makes him wrapped up in bandages. He has to take special baths daily to deal with his painful sores and prevent them from getting contaminated.
However, he has recently been diagnosed with lymphoma, one of the cancers of the immune system.
Children who suffer from epidermolysis bullosa lack a type of collagen called VII collagen, which enables the skin and pores to adhere to the inner layers of the skin.
Even the slightest motion or touch can cause the skin and pores to fall off. More than 87 percent of children born with butterfly skin disease die within 12 months of receiving the diagnosis. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this condition.
Trisha and Kevin Knuth, the parents of Charlie, said they have tried a number of treatments to deal with the condition. They constantly use lotions and gloves to control the disease.
Charlie was abandoned at a hospital before being adopted by his present mother and father. They said they will take him to Minnesota to determine what stage of cancer he is into and what are the possible treatment options.
Lymphoma therapy may vary, while some may require a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. According to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that more than 82,300 people will likely be diagnosed with lymphoma in 2019, with over 20,970 deaths.
