Community Spotlight: Payton Ditty

Hi! My name’s Payton. I was first diagnosed with APS Type 1 at the age of 7 after an adrenal crisis that lasted weeks. That was the start of my APS Type 1 journey, but I’ve never let it be my identity. As a kid, it was hard because I felt like I was alone, it seemed I was the only one with APS Type 1. I had to take a lot of medications to regulate my system, and other kids didn’t have that. When I hit my teens, I went through major depression and I lost my hair as I developed alopecia, but it seems to have made me have thicker skin. I also got to know I was NOT alone! There were others like me out there that knew exactly how it felt to be different. I met amazing people at the APS Type 1 symposium and it was LIFE CHANGING! I decided my APS Type 1 was not all I am it is what made me a strong warrior! My parents and I met doctors who understood what was happening and supported me then and continue to now. The medical staff involved with research are the most amazing people I’ve ever had the pleasure to have in my life.