I'm a Little Mast Cell!

This is a story about me - a little mast cell! My brothers and sisters live with me inside every person's body. We live in your skin and inside of your bodies, too. We help protect your body when you are sick. We talk to other cells, so we can all work together to keep you feeling well.

For some reason in ___________'s body there are just too many of me and my brothers and sisters. Nobody knows why there are so many of us here. Sometimes because there are lots and lots of us, we can make ____________ sick, when we are really trying to make him/her feel better. That makes us sad and we wish it didn't happen.

Because there are too many of us mast cells, it is called mastocytosis. You might see spots on __________'s skin that make him/her itchy, or ___________ may get a tummy ache. She/He might have to take medicine to help him/her feel better. But you don't need to worry. Mastocytosis is not contagious, which means you can't "catch" it. If you want to know more about it you can just kindly ask ___________ about it. Everyone's body is different but that's what makes us all special!