05/07/2026
🦋 PART 1 — Understanding Ariella’s EB
Ariella has Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (RDEB), intermediate, a rare genetic condition that affects the way her skin and mucous membranes hold together. In RDEB, the “anchors” that normally keep the layers of skin connected are missing or fragile — so even gentle friction can cause blisters, wounds, or skin loss.
For Ariella, EB showed itself immediately. She was born without big toes on both feet, and the skin on her right leg was raw all the way up to her kneecap. Her skin was so fragile that even the softest touch could cause new wounds. At just six days old, her first blisters had to be popped — the beginning of a lifelong routine of wound care, protection, and constant vigilance.
RDEB is unpredictable. It’s painful. It requires daily care. And yet, even in those early days of trial and error, Ariella showed a strength that would become her signature.