After years of trying to stay strong while enduring stares and rude comments, I found Wigs for Kids, a program that changed my life forever. This happened when I was just a little girl. I went from having that perfect flowy blonde hair that every little girl wants to not having any hair at all. “Thank you guys so much! It felt really amazing to donate my hair to this amazing charity.” Meagan’s StoryĪlopecia has been a life changing event for me, as it would be for anyone. Now here she is years later at Transitions Studio, helping another child. Carlo and Wigs for Kids provided her with a beautiful handmade wig. When Jessica was 12 years old, she became sick and lost her hair. If children can find some comfort in their own appearance, if the stress of the outward physical impact of treatment can be blunted, they feel better about themselves and recover faster.Ĭarlo had no idea that a promise to a dying friend would take him on such a wonderful, fulfilling adventure. The illness is bad enough, but the treatment can often be as difficult as coping with the disease. It can take 30 to 40 hours to finish a single wig, which is given to the child for free. After that, it is hand-woven into a wig.įifteen to 28 ponytails are needed to produce a single wig, which costs up to $1,800 to produce. The donated hair is sorted by texture, then dyed to a consistent colour to match the patient’s. Hair for the wigs is donated, often by children, who will have their long hair cut for the program. Wigs for Kids has helped more than 400 children in Canada. Jeffrey quickly became Carlo’s friend and mentor ….īy 1997, Carlo had established the Canadian chapter of Wigs for Kids, which provides wigs made of human hair to children with hair loss due to chemotherapy and radiation treatments, alopecia, trichotillomania, burns and other medical reasons. And if it got wet, it would look like everybody else’s hair, because every strand of hair was hand-tied. They came up with a wig that adhered to the scalp under the most aggressive conditions. He worked with doctors and prosthetics specialists to design a hairpiece that would withstand typical kid activities, such as swimming, gymnastics, and sleepovers. Jeffrey did some research and learned that designing children’s wigs is complicated because kids are smaller and more active than adults. Jeffery promised her she would have hair for her dream of making the gymnastics team. Although chemotherapy saved her life, it would leave her with no hair. When he found that suitable wigs were often not easy to find, especially for children, Carlo reached out.Ī fellow hairdresser, Jeffrey Paul, told him a similar story about his niece, a 15 year old gymnast being treated for leukemia. Gathering wigs for patients who lost their hair seemed like a good way to help them feel better. He did his homework and learned what cancer treatment does to people. He promised he would, but at the time had no idea what he could possibly do. A childhood friend who had died from cancer made Carlo promise to help others like he had helped her. In 1992 Carlo Turavani, a hair stylist by trade, began working with children and adults going through cancer treatment. Wigs for Kids Helping children look themselves and live their lives Over 2 million children are affected by hair loss
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |