Source: BlackDoctor.org
A trip to the barbershop is usually therapeutic for men: they get to talk about their issues with other men, enjoy alaugh and get cleaned up at the same time. But one man’s visit to the barbershop was the exact opposite of that and left with a life-altering condition that’s become debilitating.
Wisconsin native Keith Crowell developed keloids on his skin about 12 years ago, according to WITI. Keloids are described as a scar composed primarily of collagen.
When skin is injured, fibrous tissue scar tissue forms over the wound to repair and protect the injury. In some cases, the scar tissue grows excessively, forming smooth, hard growths called keloids, which can be much larger than the original wound. They’re most commonly found on the chest, shoulders, earlobes, and cheeks.
Keloids are normally not harmful to the body. But Crowell’s keloids are different — much different.
“I had a bad reaction when I went to a barber and he gave me shave and nicked me on both sides,” Crowell says. The nicks didn’t heal. Instead, mounds of skin grew on his face, and as a result Crowell has difficulty swallowing and hearing properly. “It can be devastating. Sometimes I feel real bad.”
He has had two surgeries (each removing nearly 40 pounds of flesh) but those operations proved unsuccessful as the growths returned later — and even larger. Now Crowell has located a specialist to help with his situation.
“There’s a doctor in New York that can solve my solution. He has a 96% success rate that he can resolve my issue, and I love those odds,” Crowell says. But there is one problem: his insurance won’t cover the treatment.
“They rejected my claim saying it was cosmetic surgery. I feel it’s not cosmetic. This is my life right here. I want to be like a normal person,” Crowell says.
Please Donate at Mr. Crowell’s GoFundMe.com page.