Addressing Psoriasis™ Winners

Freedom!
Isabel Esteviz
Age 27, Lynwood, Ill.

As a teenager flipping through fashion magazines with her girlfriends, Isabel Esteviz felt that she "wasn't allowed" to wear the pretty things she saw.

"I censored myself," she says. "Now I realize
it's OK for me to wear whatever I want. It's
such a liberating feeling."

Isabel first experienced that sense of freedom at a National Psoriasis Foundation conference in Chicago. Learning about the disease and meeting other people with psoriasis boosted her confidence. She became a volunteer and activist, participating in Foundation Capitol Hill Day events and conferences and reaching out to others on the message boards.

Now 27, Isabel has a 2-year-old son, "the absolute joy of my life." Commuting by train to her job in downtown Chicago, she has time to reflect on how coming to terms with psoriasis has reawakened her sense of style and confidence.

"I have always loved dresses, loved to be girly. Now if I see a dress and I want to wear it, I do. If I want to wear my hair up, I do—regardless of my skin. Even if I am flaring I will be at the beach in a suit like everyone else, enjoying life."

Isabel sees the Addressing Psoriasis™ contest as one more opportunity to connect with people who are suffering because of psoriasis. "I know there is going to be at least one person who thinks they are alone, who somehow is going to find out about this campaign and it's really going to change their life."