 In 1996, Francesca Tenconi was diagnosed with Pemphigus Foliaceous, a life-threatening auto-immune based skin disease.She and the other children she met while receiving medical care felt isolated and had no organization focusing on the unique challenges faced by children with such visual diseases.On her 16th birthday in 2000, Tenconi established the Children's Skin Disease Foundation in Walnut Creek, California to raise funds for research for the treatment and potential cure of several skin diseases that affect children.