WILCOX – Earlier this year Barcroft Media reached out to Wilcox resident, Bailey Pretak, with an interest in filming a short documentary on her life.
Pretak is diagnosed with Lamellar Ichthyosis, a rare genetic skin condition that is usually present at birth and is characterized by dry, scaly skin that may be thick or very thin, depending on the type a person is diagnosed with, as there are over 20 different types.
The specific type that Pretak suffers with is one of the more common types, affecting one in 200,000 people.
“There is no cure for Ichthyosis. The biggest complications are the inability to sweat, susceptibility to infections, and deep cracks when our skin splits open. The greatest difficulty though is the bullying from others that often comes with it,” said Pretak.
During the beginning of the year Pretak was contacted by “Danny Baggott, a producer for Barcroft Media, who had a desire to do a story on Ichthyosis. He saw my story on the Foundation for Ichthyosis & Related Skin Types (FIRST) website as well as all the news articles that came out about me at the beginning of 2017 on Yahoo, Allure, Daily Mail, Sun, etc. He was highly intrigued by my story. Then, he sent me a message on Facebook and we proceeded from there after I expressed interest,” according to Pretak in reference to the development of her participation in the documentary.
When specifically asked why she ultimately decided to participate in the documentary, which took place back in May 2018, she stated, “I believe this documentary will not only show the world the hardships and challenges of living with a rare disorder, but will also show that we are more than our disorder. We do not have to be defined by the circumstances in our life. The only limits we face are those we put on ourselves. I hope it will inspire others to take that first step in the journey from insecurity to confidence so that they can become confident in who they are.”
According to Barcroft Media, officials “sent videographer Jay Mallin to Elk County where he followed Bailey around for the day to capture her story.”
In the morning, she spoke to the 7th and 8th grade classes at Johnsonburg Area High School, her alma mater, where she shared her “Uniquely YOU” message. The afternoon was spent at her house where Pretak, a childhood friend and her parents were interviewed.
According to a Barcroft representative, the day concluded at April School of Dance where Pretak’s pointe students performed their Alice in Wonderland dance and her dance ministry, Beautiful Feet, did one of their songs.
“Barcroft Media then took all that footage and put it together into an eight-minute video. It is published on the Barcroft TV Youtube Channel that has over 4 million subscribers. So far, over 57,000 have viewed the documentary. It is a part of Barcroft’s series ‘Shake My Beauty,’” according to the Barcroft representative.
According to Pretak, a question she is often asked is how she deals with bullying. Here is her response, “First of all, I’ve been there. I have been stared at, left out, called names, and avoided. Know what? I’ve learned that it is ok to hurt. Bullying sucks. Don’t try to mask the pain you feel.She follows with some advice: “find someone you trust to talk to about it. Secondly, don’t believe what the bullies say about you. Your value and worth should not be diminished simply because the bullies cannot see it. Each one of us is unique and has our own gifts to share with the world. Don’t let anyone dull your sparkle. Don’t stay in the bottom of that pit. Step out into the light and be YOU.”
Pretak would also like to clear up the biggest myth that has followed her for the length of her life, which is, “that the public seems to believe individuals with rare skin conditions are contagious. However, that is not true at all. If it was, we wouldn’t be out among you.”
Pretak is currently a motivational speaker and is the daughter of Roger and Tracie Pretak of Wilcox and the granddaughter of Jerold Jones of Johnsonburg.
