Fans of the hit CBS show The Big Bang Theory know that it’s not uncommon for the showrunners or even cast members to dedicate an episode to a certain individual or a special cause.
Special Someone
Two weeks ago, it was Kaley Cuoco’s turn to dedicate an episode to a special someone. The actress (who plays Penny on the show) shared this information on her Instagram page on April 25, posting multiple images with a caption to boot.
The images were of her with her friend Isaiah Zarate, a young lad who, unfortunately, suffers from epidermolysis bullosa. The caption simply read that that day’s episode was in Isaiah’s honor who has been on the front row of the show’s final season in its entirety.
Cuoco also explained her friend’s condition as a genetic skin condition that’s relatively rare and even tagged its Research Foundation on the post.
According to the actress, Isaiah’s smile is to die for. Whenever they’re filming, she always looks into the audience just to catch a glimpse of it, and she insists that it’s almost always the biggest smile around.
Kaley went on to thank Isaiah for the simple reminder of how much a smile can change your day, in addition to confessing her love for the lad. Finally, she labeled him her inspiration and promised to be with him every step of the way in the quest of finding a cure for his EB.
A Collection of Diseases
According to NIAMS, EB isn’t a single disease but rather a collection of them that all have the same outcome – blisters on your skin. As is the case with any disease, some patients suffer mild blisters while others are unlucky to have to battle more severe ones.
Unfortunately, these aggressive blisters can form inside the body such as in the esophagus or the urethra. In these cases, ingestion and excretion is made difficult, which in turn leads to more complications.
NIAMS avers that everyone is susceptible to epidermolysis bullosa, but with the condition being genetic, its symptoms appear very early in life, when the patient is just but a toddler.
As Kaley Cuoco indirectly revealed, there currently exists no cure for EB. Similar to other diseases with no cure just yet, all practitioners and especially dermatologists can do is to prescribe drugs that provide short-term relief from the pain and discomfort the condition brings.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwsB0YMh93u/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet
Additional medication is also provided to prevent infection, as epidermolysis bullosa breaches the body’s first line of defense, i.e. the skin.
In extremely severe cases, a patient’s fingers and toes may be overrun by the blisters to the extent of becoming joined. In such an eventuality, surgery becomes necessary to separate them.
Going by what we know about Isaiah, we have no doubt that having a TBBT episode dedicated to him brought one of those big smiles he is famed for.
And how nice it is for Kaley Cuoco to be passionate and considerate. The actress has grown with the hit show, and it is encouraging that she’s using her platform to champion for meaningful causes.
