Erion Moore II, a former college basketball player, has been severely impacted by scleroderma, a rare disease that causes the skin to harden. He went from being an athletic 6-foot-6 player to being unable to stand, bathe himself, or use his fingers due to the tightening of his skin from scleroderma. In an attempt to battle the disease and regain mobility, Moore underwent a stem cell transplant, a new treatment he hopes will reverse the effects of the condition that has twisted up his life.

1. BODY OF STONE
Tigard Times, Thursday, 07 March 2013
Tigard man turns to stem cell treatment to battle disease that twisted up his life
When Erion Moore II was
in college, his friend’s
called him “Big Chocolate.”
Standing 6-foot-6, and
sporting an impressive afro,
Moore was well known at
Southern Oregon University
for his skills on the
basketball court.
But today, the 29-year-old
Tigard resident is almost
unrecognizable from the
athlete in his heyday.
He went from racing across
a basketball court to being
unable to stand, bathe
TIMES PHOTO: JONATHAN HOUSE - Erion Moore works with himself or drive. It is
physical therapist Katie Carr to regain strength after a stem cell transplant difficult for him to open his
to help with his scleroderma, a rare disease that causes the skin to harden. mouth. He is unable to
move his fingers, which
have curled into balls.
A few years ago his knuckles burst like split sausages from the pressure on his skin.
“If I had a small knick or scratches it would just open up,” Moore said. “A cut would go down to the
bone because everything is so tight.”