The Minnesota Vikings newest quarterback is getting a lot of attention after stepping up and leading the team to victory, but he has more to offer than just completing a pass.
Josh Dobbs, who was traded to Minnesota one week ago, is very open about a condition known as alopecia. Dobbs shared his story with cheerleader who also has it during his time in Arizona. The two wanted to meet, and did so following a practice ahead of the Cardinals game against the Cowboys in September.
"Her journey looks a little different from mine," Dobbs said in Arizona. "But it'll be really cool now because obviously, we're in the same organization so just to be able to relate stories and be able to support each other through adversity that we might face."
Dobbs has shared that when he was in college ant Tennessee, he started to lose his hair in patches and just decided to "embrace the baldy" and shave his head.
"There's ignorance in the world, but I always use my platform and who I am, and the position I play, to serve as the opportunity to share who I am and what it's like to have alopecia," Dobbs explained.
Allina dermatologist Liz Farhat says alopecia is actually rather common and affects children and women more than men.
"I always think of it like an allergy," says Farhat. "So, instead of being allergic to poison ivy or something like that, the immune system goes to the hair and actually attacks the hair itself."
Farhat says there's a lot of stigma surrounding the condition with people not really understanding what it is.
"People think that they're going through chemotherapy, that they have cancer," Farhat explains. "And so I think that people definitely don't know what to do when they see someone with alopecia."
While alopecia doesn't have any significant health risks, it can come with a lot of sadness and anxiety for those that do get it. Having someone like Josh Dobbs so willing to come forward helps to end the stigma and confusion surrounding the condition according to Farhat.
While there is no real cure for alopecia, there are a few treatments doctors can prescribe to at least slow it down or in some cases stop the autoimmune response inside the body. Learn more about it here.