By Carolyn Cole
Published on May 29, 2008

Being normal teenagers is a dream for three Mustang sisters who face balloon-like blisters and wounds from the slightest scrape of their fragile skin.

Danielle, Casey and Elizabeth Seldomridge inherited dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a disease in which fibrils connecting skin layers aren’t strong enough or are too few in number.

This makes skin delicate, causing minor bumps and scrapes to tear away large areas of skin creating gaping, bleeding wounds or balloon-like blisters. The girls also develop blisters in their ears, mouths and throat, which can require surgeries to reopen passageways later in their lives.

EB is rare — Danielle, Casey and Elizabeth are among 12,000 Americans believed to have some form of the disorder. There is no cure, and few doctors have treated patients because it’s so uncommon. Those with EB become experts at treating their wounds — lancing and draining blisters and using ointments to prevent bandages from sticking and causing more damage.

While having the disorder is hard enough, 17-year-old Danielle said the stares and whispers from other students and people in public places are almost unbearable. Danielle has worked at a local restaurant for almost two years, and while her managers are now understanding about her disorder, some of her customers are not.

One customer called and told her manager he didn’t want to see Danielle in the restaurant, she said, but when her supervisor asked if he suggested the teenager be fired because of her disorder, the man hung up.

“Sometimes that’s what you have to do is make people feel stupid,” Danielle said.

Their mother Melissa Hammer, who also has EB, said she never wants the disorder to hold her daughters back, but sometimes it can’t be helped. Danielle regularly works 10-hour days, which causes large blisters on her feet and bursts open the skin on her elbows while cleaning and stocking the store.

Danielle said she watches over her 15-year-old sister Casey, who also works there. She said they have had problems with co-workers who think they are “faking it,” to get a lighter workload.