Utah teen battles rare allergy to water

What was supposed to be pool night during a family vacation led to a rare diagnosis that would change a Utah teen’s life forever.

Alexandra Allen, who grew up wanting to be a marine biologist, was diagnosed a few years later with aquagenic urticarial, an allergy to water defined by a painful reaction to contact with the skin.

Allen was 12 when she woke up that night after the pool covered in hives. “I remember sitting in the bathroom trying so hard not to scratch myself and make it worse until my mom came back with the Benadryl,” she told ABC News.

She agreed, the allergic reaction “sounds absurd.” But another family trip landed the Mapleton 17-year-old in the hospital with internal bleeding and was unable to breathe.

To further avoid contact with water, the teen only takes two to three very short, cold showers a week.

Her symptoms can last from three hours to a week after exposure, according to Deseret News. A dermatologist with Cornell Medical Center said only 50 or so cases have been documented.

Reactions can occur with anything from tears to rain.

“I think I’m lucky, compared to a lot of other diseases I could have had,” Allen said. “At least this is tolerable and manageable.” In the meantime, Allen has excelled at school, picked up hobbies and started a blog.

Doctors believe her condition is degenerative, meaning it will get worse with time and Allen worries drinking water will become a problem for her later in life.

Allen remains positive, though, telling ABC News, “At least I’m not allergic to dogs — and it does get me out of doing the dishes.”

A blog post from Monday addressed the overnight, worldwide attention to her case, stating that her condition does not define who she is.

She used the post as a way to tell others with “defining” conditions to remember that they are “complex and growing and constantly exploring what you are and what you will become.”

“To all the people out there who have been crushed by their inability to be an Olympic swimmer or a mermaid, I sincerely believe there is always a way to complete your dreams in one way or the other,” she wrote. “You are grand.”

Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva