Our gorgeous grandson Daniel has ichthyosis so we know first hand just how amazingly supportive the ISG are, and how valuable their work is. Because ichthyosis is a very rare genetic condition it is vitally important that families can share their experiences. The ISG arrange family days, conferences and children's camps and Daniel REALLY enjoys meeting up with his friends with "special skin just like me".

Chris and I would be very grateful for your sponsorship to enable these opportunities to continue for Daniel and many others.

Ichthyosis, pronounced Ick-thee-o-sis (which comes from the Greek word meaning ‘fish’) describes a group of conditions in which the skin is dry and scaly. Lots of people have dry skin conditions (such as eczema or psoriasis) but they tend to be patchy and they come and go. By contrast, in ichthyosis the scaling is continuous and usually affects the whole body. There is no cure for ichthyosis at present, but it is possible to manage the symptoms. The main aim of treatment is to improve the condition of the skin (make it less dry and less scaly, for example) and to relieve discomfort. Ichthyosis in the severe forms can be life threatening, but even in the milder forms a strict daily skin care regime is needed and having a visible skin condition can prove psychologically challenging.

Kay Holby