Hidradenitis Suppurativa can be a debilitating disease for some. We have heard so many stories about how HS impacts peoples lives. It can prevent people from living the life they want.
Although HS is shown to affect more women than men, men do suffer terribly from HS. And often they suffer in silence. We’re going to talk about hidradenitis suppurativa, and men that we have seen in the public eye with HS.
Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Men
There are several men in the public eye who are living with HS, and despite the struggles and pain, they are succeeding in life. They are truly an inspiration and we wanted to share some of their stories. Lets keep hope alive, and take something from the determination they show to overcome their illness and keep moving forward with the life they want to live.
They all admittedly have bad days, weeks and even months. So hopefully we can learn something about hidradenitis suppurativa from these men. Maybe a new routine, or a new focus, to reduce the impact HS has on our lives and succeed despite HS.
First up is Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens is a professional wrestler who is signed to WWE. So if you like wrestling, you probably know who he is! But you may not have known that he has HS.
He doesn’t talk too much about his HS, but in 2019, he received some online abuse. A person began mocking his armpits on twitter. This is certainly something that should never be ok, and Kevin responded with grace and dignity. “Do you mean the skin condition I live with every day that actually makes my life quite difficult sometimes?”
You can read more about the incident here
Kevin Owens has overcome a lot over the years, including a battle with this weight and also his ongoing battle with hidradenitis suppurativa. What an inspiration to see one of us making it to the top of his game despite his illness. He is an inspiration to those of us living with hidradenitis suppurativa, and men in particular.
Next up we have Jonathan Kumuteo
Jonathan is an up and coming boxer from England who has been training hard and racking up victories all over the UK. It is exciting to see such a dedicated and successful man thriving despite his battles with HS. He speaks about his experience in this video, from 8 minutes in.
He has had surgeries, recovered and got back to his training to rise through the ranks of the boxing world. He has had a very tough time with his HS, but he persevered and learned to overcome. We wish him well in his future endeavours and look forward to following his career.
Next we have Jackson Gillies
Jackson is a wonderful young man from the USA. He has been battling diabetes and hidradenitis suppurativa for a long time now. He brought huge awareness to HS when he featured on American Idol in 2019. He has the most wonderful outlook on life and despite his suffering, has managed to keep reaching for the stars. He presented a Ted Talk about hidradenitis suppurativa and is currently working on his music career. No doubt he will be a star and we cannot wait to see him on the big screen again!
Jackson recently spoke with our CEO Suzanne, and gave us some words of advice to get us through tough times.
Next we have Lonnie White
Lonnie White was a sports writer and former USC football player. He battled with HS from his teens, but that didn’t stop him pursuing his career in football. Unfortunately, a sports injury prevented him returning to the pitch. But it didn’t prevent him from following a new path in sports reporting to become a respected and honoured member of the LA Times team.
Sadly, Lonnie passed away in 2014 following a series of health problems. His legacy lives on in his writing, and in his story. He showed determination, strength and courage, and overcame so many obstacles throughout his life to achieve his dreams.
As awareness of HS grows, we will see more and more people talking about their experiences of HS. Remember, there is nothing to be ashamed about. Having HS is not your fault. It doesn’t have to ruin our lives. We can adapt and adjust, and maybe it will take a bit longer, and be a bit more difficult, but we can live our best lives. We can achieve our dreams.
