Kira Archuleta: California woman, 24, says she ‘didn’t want to live’ as bullies called her Freddy Krueger due to rare skin condition
MANTECA, CALIFORNIA: Bullies brutally referred to a woman from California as "Freddy Krueger" because of a painful skin condition that left her face covered in boils. Kira Archuleta, aged 24 and from Manteca, has hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a disorder that causes painful lesions all over the body and is akin to acne.
Archuleta's cheeks, groin, and even the area under her breasts all swiftly developed boils when they first appeared in her armpit. They leave behind painful scars that take weeks to heal once they burst. She had to be homeschooled for a long time as a child since the problem worsened to the point that she was confined to bed for up to ten months at a time. Bullies at school compared her to the horribly burned-scarred disfigured villain from the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series.
READ MORE
Who is Marky Jaquez's mom? TikTok star with rare butterfly disease dies at 21
'Dr Pimple Popper': Tamyra slices her foot and uses sandpaper to get rid of 'reptilian' skin
What happened to Kira Archuleta?
Kira Archuleta first realized something was amiss at the age of 14, despite having acne-prone skin her entire life. In her underarm, just below the skin, she had discovered a "bump." She initially attributed the new, "unusual," boil to hormones because PCOS and acne run in her family. Within three years, she developed boils all over her body, which, if she touched them, developed into open sores and ulcers.
'I was afraid to show my face'
In order to cope with the excruciating agony, Archuleta tried CBD oil. Yet she soon understood that her only chance lay in taking antibiotics and painkillers on prescription. At age 17, she received a formal diagnosis of HS and was finally informed of the cause of her excruciating boils. her suffering made it necessary for her to be homeschooled and prevented her from continuing to work in a supermarket bakery. "I was afraid to show my face for so long because society told me it was ugly," said Archuleta. "People like me feel cast out and forced to hide. It was three long years of worsening pain until I finally got a diagnosis."
'People still call me Freddy Kruger'
The 24-year-old added, "I used to play softball at school, and I had to give it up. I went from being this strong, outgoing, sporty, bubbly person - to a shell of my former self." She continued, "even as an adult, people still call me horrible names like Freddy Kruger. My boils were absolutely everywhere - on my groin, my thighs, my underarm. I could just be sitting down, and I’d feel one of the blisters pop and that would be it - pain radiating through my entire body," reports Wales Online.
Doctors first advised Archuleta that she simply needed to "clean better," but after three years and numerous hospital visits, she was given the diagnosis of HS. She takes medication, modifies her diet by avoiding red meat, dairy products, and pork, takes daily lukewarm baths, and moisturizes and applies witch hazel to her skin. She has also been prescribed medication.
'I didn’t want to live'
As per Archuleta, her 48-year-old mother Tina is the reason she is still alive. "It was so hard. Being bedridden isn’t any kind of life - my mum bathed me, changed my dressings every morning and made me food. She did things no mother should be doing for a daughter in her early 20s, said the 24-year-old. "It got to the point where I just couldn’t live like this anymore. My mum was in agony watching me go through the pain. I didn’t want to live. But after 10 months, she decided to admit me into the hospital." She was taken to the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California, and was kept there for seven nights. "They gave me antibiotics and fentanyl through an IV and they were properly cleaning my wounds," she stated. "Through the will of god - I began to feel the most healed I had in 10 months."
What is Hidradenitis Suppurativa?
The painful ailment known as HS causes little, under-the-skin bumps that resemble boils. They typically develop in the armpits, groin, buttocks, and breasts because of friction. The immune system is triggered by blocked hair follicles, which causes inflammation in the area and the development of boils, said Daily Mail.
They can crack open, leaving scars that may not heal for several weeks. Tunnels can occasionally develop between boils as well. Patients run the danger of developing an infection and experiencing arm, leg, and vaginal edema. Skin cancer risk is also higher for those who are not treated.