[FourtySeven]

One picture shows Ashlyn in her Christmas dress, hair neatly coifed, with a swollen lip, missing teeth, puffy eye and athletic tape wrapped around her hands to protect them. She smiles like a little boxer who won a prize bout.

Her first serious injury came at age 3, when she laid her hand on a hot pressure washer in the back yard. Ashlyn’s mother found her staring at her red, blistered palm.

“That was a real reality check for me. At that point I realized we’re not going to be able to stop all the bad stuff,” Tara Blocker says. “She needs a normal life, with limitations.”

So when Ashlyn goes to her kindergarten class at Patterson Elementary School, she gets daily check-ups with school nurse Beth Cloud after recess. Cloud and Ashlyn’s mother discussed having her wear a helmet on the playground, but decided it would look too odd.

And when teacher’s aide Sue Price puts ice in Ashlyn’s chili at lunch, her dozen classmates get ice in theirs too.

Infections with no outward symptoms also concern them. They heard of a case where a child with CIPA had appendicitis that went untreated until her appendix burst.

“It’s a lot to take in. It opens your eyes to things you wouldn’t normally think about,” says Tara Blocker. “If she sees blood, she knows to stop. There’s only so much you can tell a 5-year-old.”

She looks like quite the little trooper, God Bless her.

I do wonder though why her school puts ice in the chili of her classmates as well? Is there any logical reason behind that, other than the group think that permeates our public school system nowadays?

[jdm]

bttt

[Tax-chick]

Is there any logical reason behind that, other than the group think that permeates our public school system nowadays?

No, not really, although the little kids probably think the ice makes school lunch chili taste better!

[js1138]

I wonder what the life expectancy for these kids is?

Many years ago there was a TV show called Science Fiction Theater. They had an episode in which a schoolboy with this condition was thought by neighbors to be an alien.

[Izzy Dunne]

YIKES! Never heard of this.

Your first reaction might be that to feel no pain would be a good thing. Not so.
Pain protects you by warning you that what is happening is damaging...

[laotzu]

Wouldn't this make her capable of impressive acts of strength?

[jperspective]

When she grows up she could join the X-men.

[ArrogantBustard]

I do wonder though why her school puts ice in the chili of her classmates as well?

It's the self-esteem groupthink nonsense. In the real world, the hot chili business would be a good opportunity to teach the child that she is, in fact, different from other folks. She needs to learn to be careful in ways other folks don't. But this valuable survival lesson is lost to political correctness.

[Galena Nevada]

There's going to be a whole class of kids who grow up thinking that ice normally goes in chili. I can see it now... One of these kids makes chili for a frat party his first year at college and puts ice in it.

[dandelion]

I know, because I used to teach Pre-Kindergarten...

If Ashley has it, they ALL will want it. Just try it with your little kids at home and see. If the one child likes it, and gets it, then they just HAVE to have it!

[anniegetyourgun]

Why can't us ladies get this disease on a temporary basis - from the first twing of labor to 48 hours after delivery?

[The_Republican]

I wish I could borrow her disease for tomorrow night ONLY and maybe for part of Wednesday....

[John O]

Genetic lepresy. This little one is in for a short ugly life if she doesn't learn to protect herself. God help her