Like every toddler, little Ivy Lynn from Minnesota loved bath time.
Until one day, she started torturously screaming every time she went near the water. Her skin began to break out in rashes and painful welts.
Her confused parents, Brittany and Dan Angerman, tried everything from various shampoos and soaps to bathing her in different locations. After no success, they sought medical help. Ivy had a severe allergy to water.
In October 2017, doctors diagnosed Ivy with aquagenic urticaria, an intense allergy to water that affects one in 23 million people.
Sharing Ivy's story on Facebook, mum Brittany wrote:
"We touch and consume water all day long. It makes up 70% of our body. Now, imagine not being able to do all those daily activities we enjoy and take for granted: bathing, swimming, being in the rain, washing your hands and the list goes on... Being allergic to water is extremely rare, and most that are allergic to it are confined to their homes."
“It has changed everything in our lives,” Brittany told PEOPLE. “We’ve become an indoor family.”
Bathing Ivy-even if it's just for 15 seconds- causes the toddler “torturous pain." They try to keep Ivy as clean as possible, limiting washing to once or twice a week.
Even childhood activities, such as running about the house or playing outside are limited now- even sweat and tears can cause Ivy to break out. Playing with markers is also off-limits, in case she dirties her hands.
“There is a lot more TV time than playing outside,” Brittany revealed. “Even if she runs around the house she will get worked up and the sweating will cause all the symptoms to start.”
According to the Genetic and Rare Disease Research Centre, the condition is more likely to develop in the teen years and there are only about 50 recorded cases of the condition, none as young as Ivy.
And the condition is only going to get worse in time, with her parents fearing that her throat might one day close while drinking.
“I wonder if one day her throat will start to swell up when she drinks it,” says Brittany. “It’s already getting worse.”
The family have set up a Gofundme, with the goal of being able to move into a house with a well, purified water system and a central air system to help limit the severity of Ivy's reactions.
“The house we’re renting now was built in 1901 and doesn't have air conditioning,” she explains. “It’s a house that is very hard to keep cool and will be extremely difficult for Ivy when it gets warm.”
Until a cure is found, Ivy has been prescribed string antihistamines to calm her reactions.
"The entire situation is just mind-blowing," Brittany added. "We want people to know this exists and how life-changing it really is."
They try to focus on the positives, and she says that this has brought them closer together as a family.
"It’s definitely brought our family a lot closer together,” she says. “We’re all in this for Ivy.”
