Crowdfunding helps woman raise money to treat eczema in India
Ms Eu Huiling said one of the hardest parts about living with her condition was receiving ‘looks of shock and disgust’ from strangers. PHOTO: ROBIN CHOO
SINGAPORE — Living with atopic eczema and the stigma that comes along with it has been a painful lifelong struggle for Ms Eu Huiling. The red, flaky skin and weeping wounds associated with severe eczema has led to her being ostracised by strangers, with many shooting her disgusted looks and shunning her on the streets.
The former civil engineer, 34, has tried nearly every treatment she could: Steroid-based creams, naturopathy, homeopathy and even traditional Chinese medication.
All these had varying degrees of success, until she switched to a combination of yoga and ayurveda — an alternative therapy with roots in India — late last year.
Her skin has become considerably less flaky and she hopes to seek intensive treatment in Kerala, India, in October this year. The costs would amount to about S$600 a week and she was advised to stay for at least a month.
However, having exhausted her savings on prior treatments, Ms Eu decided to turn to crowdsourcing to raise the money needed for her trip. Since sharing her story online, the donations have been pouring in, and in three days, she has raised almost S$20,000.
“I didn’t expect it,” she told TODAY. “I was expecting to get a few hundred dollars that I could use for my treatment … many people have sent me messages about different kinds of treatment and I’m still in the midst of responding to them.”
Ms Eu, who now makes a living selling handicraft online, was born with eczema. The condition flared up occasionally, but mostly it affected just her face, elbows and knees. During her final year in university, the condition broke out with a vengeance, “maybe due to stress”, she recalled.
Her first two jobs were in engineering, requiring her presence on worksites and it did not help that she was allergic to dust. Air-conditioning also became difficult to bear because the cool, dry air caused her skin to crack.
Along the way, Ms Eu developed cataract and osteopenia, both of which she believes were caused by long-term steroid use. Today, she is nearly blind in her left eye.
Sometime in 2010, she turned to naturopathy at the recommendation of a neighbour and after a session with the therapist that involved having herbs applied all over her body, pus-filled boils broke out.
She was hospitalised for the next two months, drifting in and out of hallucinations and battling depression.
That year, she was in and out of the hospital four to five times. It was the lowest point in her life.
“I would go for long walks in the middle of the night, walking from my home in Kembangan to Tanjong Pagar for about three hours and then meet my friend for breakfast. I would think through things while walking.”
One of the hardest parts about living with her condition, she said, was receiving “looks of shock and disgust” from strangers.
“They would tell their children to stay away from me. They’re scared that my condition is contagious.”
Panic attacks became a norm and she would jolt awake at night, giving in to the perennial itch and scratching frantically. Her skin is so sensitive to heat that she cannot stay out in the day.
Since last year, Ms Eu has been going for yoga and ayurvedic treatments twice a week, and each session costs her S$60.
Ms Wee Shu Ting, her current therapist, was the first to suggest that Ms Eu seek in-house treatment at an ashram in India.
“At that facility, they control everything, your diet, your habits. Over here, after her treatment, she goes home and we have no control over what happens at home,” Ms Wee explained.
For now, Ms Eu is continuing with her treatment and is also preparing for her trip to India. “I’m also worried that it might not work out ... but I am, by nature, very (fearless) despite all I’ve gone through.”
