Date: 08/11/2025

Five miles in open water is tough for any athlete — imagine facing that challenge when your body can’t sweat to keep cool. That’s the reality for people living with ichthyosis, a rare genetic skin condition that can severely impact daily life.

This summer, Choate lab members, Nolan, Mitra, and Devin, are swimming to raise awareness and support for the ichthyosis community through FIRST. Mitra’s passion grew after meeting affected families at the FIRST National Conference and is dedicating a year of medical school to ichthyosis research. Nolan was inspired by friendships formed while volunteering at Camp Discovery and has been streamlining ichthyosis patient data collection. For Devin, the cause is personal — he has Darier’s disease and works to identify the genetic causes of ichthyosis subtypes.

Every swim stroke supports research, advocacy, and community programs for those living with ichthyosis. Join us in pushing closer to answers — together. Donate here https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/firstswim