REF HELPS ME COPE WITH BEING BALD - KID

July 2005

Whistler's big boost for brave Kris, 12

A School whose life has been blighted by baldness has met his hero - former referee John Rowbotham.

Kris Robertson, 12, has suffered from alopecia, which causes hair to fall out, for nine years.

He's been bullied and teased about his appearance - but now he's overjoyed after meeting the newly retired whistler, a fellow sufferer.

The Daily Record arranged for the pair to meet up so they could chat about how they have managed to cope with the condition.

Kris, of Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire, said: 'I was dead chuffed when I first saw John on TV a few years ago. It's not often you see bald people running about a pitch' I thought he must be dead confident as he was doing a job that so many people watched and all their eyes would be on him.

'It's been ace meeting him and finding out how he coped.

'What I noticed is he's got a sense of humour like me. I think you need that if you have no hair.

'You have to be able to take the mickey out of your condition.

'I told him how I went up to someone at a swimming pool and asked for a comb and how I asked my mum's hairdresser for hair extensions.'

Kirkcaldy ref John, 49, said: 'I really don't know if I'd have had the confidence to be a referee had I not already started the training before losing my hair.

'I was so used to having a head of thick black hair. I used to spend more time looking in the mirror doing my hair than my wife did.'

But as time passed, John told how he got more used to his smooth head and started using his baldness to get a laugh.

He said: 'I remember taking my wig off at traffic lights and the guy in a car next to me being stunned.

'One time I was at a party when I was talking to this guy. He nipped off to get a drink and while he was away I whipped off my wig.

'When he came back, he was gobsmacked. He had no idea I was the same bloke.

'It was after that that I decided to get rid of my wig once and for all.'

He also recalled the fun he has had with another famous alopecia sufferer,Italian ref Pierluigi Collina.

Kris's hair began to go when he was just three and by the time he was five it had all gone.

His doctor told him he had probably inherited the condition from his dad Iain, 48, who developed alopecia in his 30s.

Kris is so determined to overcome his illness he has set up his own website with his mum Wendy, 42, in a bid to help other sufferers around the world.

He said: 'It has been tough at times. Some other kids have said nasty things.'

The site features an in-depth look at his battle with alopecia as well as jokes, competitions and helpful tips and advice on the condition

BARE FACTS

One in 100 people in the UK has a form of alopecia. It usually develops in teenagers and young adults but can occur at any age

Men and women are equally affected.

It is a disease of the immune system which makes white blood cells gather around the hair roots, creating bald patches

Possible triggers include viruses, infection, medicines, sunlight or other environmental factors

One in five people with alopecia has a close relative who is also affected

Stress is also a trigger , while those with asthma, eczema or thyroid disease are twice as likely to suffer