Welcome to Pen Pal Patch:
Creating a Wonderful Community for Children with VITILIGO to Connect and Communicate!
Pen Pal Patch is a safe haven for children with VITILIGO aged 4 to 12. Founded in 2017 by April Sawyer of Massachusetts, it came to life as a result of her daughter Aliya's VITILIGO diagnosis at the age of six. April's vision for Pen Pal Patch is to foster a sense of camaraderie among children with VITILIGO. This platform serves as a positive support system for Aliya and all other children confronting similar issues. Pen Pal Patch is a space where they can be themselves and develop lifelong friendships.
Meet the Team
Our AMAZING parents are dedicated to helping vitiligo children!
Pen Pal Patch Leader
Liniah Saleem
Liniah is the leader of Pen Pal Patch (PPP) of VITFriends. She joined PPP in 2017 as a member and also became an assistant leader. In 2020 she became the Leader of PPP. She has two children named Elijah and Elizabeth. Elijah was diagnosed with vitiligo at age 4. She spent most of her adult life working with children in schools, and childcare centers, and working as a professional clown doing children’s birthday parties and adult handicapped homes.
Pen Pal Patch Assistant
Martine Burnsed
A busy busy busy mom of two, Martine is passionate about helping children with vitiligo! Her daughter Madison is her inspiration. She helps not only assist our PPP leader, but has also worked with our VITFriends® board members too.
Pen Pal Patch Founder
April Sawyer
As a parent of a child with vitiligo, she has seen first-hand how different kids can be once they start to realize that not all kids have spots like they do. While there are a lot of resources online for people living with vitiligo, it's hard to find any that are geared towards children. She created Pen Pal Patch so that children have connections with other kids just like them.
