What HEA Has Meant to Me
“HEA revealed to me that I was not the only person in the world with HS and that there is a lot of support out there for us all, whatever our situation.”
“Though relatively new to the forum, it enabled me to finally discuss a secret I felt I’d been harboring for almost 33 years. I keep my journal of it here. So, with HEA and my wife’s support, I gained the courage to finally face my injuries and am through one of the two-stage urethral reconstructive surgeries. Though I remain anonymous here, I actually didn’t go it alone.”
“HEA is such a wonderful group of people who honestly have shared a lot of knowledge and experiences with my son and our family. It has improved my son’s self-acceptance, because it made him realize we are not alone struggling with this condition; there are more boys, men, and entire families who need support and understanding; and together we all can make the difference.”
“Thank God I’m not alone. That’s what I said to myself three years ago when I was searching the the Internet for others like me. In the back of my head I could feel others like me out there but didn’t know how to find them. It is so hard to explain how good it feels to know I’m not alone. Since I was a child I dreamed of one day meeting someone like me: someone to share what it is like to live a life of shame, fear, and darkness. A lot’s changed since I found out I’m not alone.”
“I am very grateful that this Web site exists and that there is a support mechanism for men who are living with hypospadias or epispadias and parents of children with those conditions. I urge parents to talk to your boy about it; do so gently but without fear and, of course, without shame.”
“I know of organizations that bring healing worldwide to boys and girls with facial birth defects, and they are not shy about their projects, for the face is not a taboo. They send fund-raising appeals with before-and-after photos, openly talk about the kids’ physical and emotional problems, and report case histories. Why can’t there be similar openness with helping kids with penis problems? I hope HEA can bring healing to kids’ penises as these other organizations bring healing to kids’ faces. That is one reason I became a member.”