When a significant allergy was standing in the way of one young man’s ability to just be a kid, the community stepped in.
Peyton Madden (13) is basically your average kid who likes playing with his friends, digs superheroes, and likes to bike around his neighborhood — a feat easier said than done.
Peyton is allergic to sunlight.
When he was 3 years old, Peyton was diagnosed with xeroderma pigmentosum, a rare genetic disease that only affect about 250 people in the U.S.
When Peyton goes out during the daytime, he must wear protective clothing that covers every inch of his skin.
Peyton may not be able to participate the in the daily activities many of us take for granted, but his El Dorado community stepped in.
The other year, the neighbors partnered with the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) to orchestrate a special day for Peyton and turn daytime into nighttime.
Peyton had no idea about the surprise he was about to see when he biked into town and found that every member of the community had leaned in, in full force to give Peyton a “day” he would not soon forget.
