It's always there, and only sometimes does it cooperate with us, but much too often do we forget how much we should appreciate it: our hair. Man or woman, our hair is often how we express ourselves, and is a large factor in our self-esteem. However, for those suffering through chemotherapy, or other illnesses that involve the loss of hair, this may not be the case.
Hair loss in both males and females in associated with a drop in self-confidence and a loss in a sense of self. For those suffering through illness, these symptoms can bring additional hardship to an already tough situation. For children, however, this loss of confidence can be detrimental for their social development and emotional health. Thirty-five years ago, hairdresser Jeffrey Paul worried of this implication when his 15-year-old niece, Laura, was diagnosed with cancer, and thus, Wigs for Kids Inc. was started. Wigs for Kids is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating custom wigs at no cost to children suffering with illnesses that have caused them to lose their hair, such as cancer, alopecia, burns, or the excessive hair-pulling mental disorder, trichotillomania. Wigs for Kids is unique in that while other organizations that donate hair often provide a wig to each child at a reduced cost, this organization is dedicated to providing the wigs completely free of cost, and custom to each child. When applying for a wig, each child, male, or female, is able to design the cut, color, and style of the hair they are receiving, while also receiving the brushes, sprays, cleaners, and other tools to care for it. Since the organization is geared towards children, each wig is designed with special care to withstand sports, playing outside, or any other common child's activity where a hairpiece may be thought to come off. While other hair donating organizations such as Locks of Love may have a complex application process for their applicants involving descriptions of their tragedies and at least 3 references, the application for a child applying for Wigs for Kids simply requires the contact information of the salon fitting the child's hairpiece, a birth certificate certifying the child is under 18 years of age, and a physician filled-out medical form. All hair used to make the wigs is sourced from salons all over the United States, with strict regulations for length and treatment to assure each child is receiving a quality wig made of real human hair. Their website features a salon locator to find the nearest Wigs for Kids participating salon, instructions for hairdressers on becoming ambassadors, and even instructions on how to cut your ponytail for donation!
I first found out about Wigs for Kids Inc. when volunteering for the pediatric floor of Stony Brook University Children's Hospital. I have wanted to become a pediatric oncologist for as long as I can remember, but meeting some of the child cancer patients in the hospital solidified this decision. My job in the hospital is to interact with the children in the playroom, and for those who cannot get to the playroom, in their hospital rooms. It is so often that I see the emotional burden that children undergo when their hair is falling out, but the confidence that they regain when these children receive their wigs is astounding. I remember one of the patients on the floor, Grace, an 11-year old leukemia patient in her first year undergoing chemotherapy, continuously asking her nurses if they liked her new blond curly wig. Since then, in my 6 years of volunteering, I have seen many boys and girls receive wigs, or hair patch replacements, and the results have always brought smiles. Seeing the results of these wigs has even persuaded me to chop off and donate 13 inches of my long hair, when I was sixteen.
Link to find out more: https://www.wigsforkids.org/about-us/mission/
Hair loss in both males and females in associated with a drop in self-confidence and a loss in a sense of self. For those suffering through illness, these symptoms can bring additional hardship to an already tough situation. For children, however, this loss of confidence can be detrimental for their social development and emotional health. Thirty-five years ago, hairdresser Jeffrey Paul worried of this implication when his 15-year-old niece, Laura, was diagnosed with cancer, and thus, Wigs for Kids Inc. was started. Wigs for Kids is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating custom wigs at no cost to children suffering with illnesses that have caused them to lose their hair, such as cancer, alopecia, burns, or the excessive hair-pulling mental disorder, trichotillomania. Wigs for Kids is unique in that while other organizations that donate hair often provide a wig to each child at a reduced cost, this organization is dedicated to providing the wigs completely free of cost, and custom to each child. When applying for a wig, each child, male, or female, is able to design the cut, color, and style of the hair they are receiving, while also receiving the brushes, sprays, cleaners, and other tools to care for it. Since the organization is geared towards children, each wig is designed with special care to withstand sports, playing outside, or any other common child's activity where a hairpiece may be thought to come off. While other hair donating organizations such as Locks of Love may have a complex application process for their applicants involving descriptions of their tragedies and at least 3 references, the application for a child applying for Wigs for Kids simply requires the contact information of the salon fitting the child's hairpiece, a birth certificate certifying the child is under 18 years of age, and a physician filled-out medical form. All hair used to make the wigs is sourced from salons all over the United States, with strict regulations for length and treatment to assure each child is receiving a quality wig made of real human hair. Their website features a salon locator to find the nearest Wigs for Kids participating salon, instructions for hairdressers on becoming ambassadors, and even instructions on how to cut your ponytail for donation!
I first found out about Wigs for Kids Inc. when volunteering for the pediatric floor of Stony Brook University Children's Hospital. I have wanted to become a pediatric oncologist for as long as I can remember, but meeting some of the child cancer patients in the hospital solidified this decision. My job in the hospital is to interact with the children in the playroom, and for those who cannot get to the playroom, in their hospital rooms. It is so often that I see the emotional burden that children undergo when their hair is falling out, but the confidence that they regain when these children receive their wigs is astounding. I remember one of the patients on the floor, Grace, an 11-year old leukemia patient in her first year undergoing chemotherapy, continuously asking her nurses if they liked her new blond curly wig. Since then, in my 6 years of volunteering, I have seen many boys and girls receive wigs, or hair patch replacements, and the results have always brought smiles. Seeing the results of these wigs has even persuaded me to chop off and donate 13 inches of my long hair, when I was sixteen.
Link to find out more: https://www.wigsforkids.org/about-us/mission/
This post really struck a chord with me because of an experience I had when I was a little younger. When I was 14, my grandmother went through a series of medical issues that resulted in her gradually losing all of her hair. My grandmother was always fond of her big blonde curls and losing that did a lot of harm to her. As you mention in this post, hair is a source of expression and identity for many people. This was definitely true for my grandmother. She eventually bought a wig, and this helped her regain confidence and strength to persevere through her situation.
ReplyDeleteI was able to see how much of an impact a wig made on my grandmother, which I feel allows me to begin to understand how significant it is for children to receive wigs as well. The age at which these kids are going through difficult challenges is also important for self-confidence and love. This makes me feel that Wigs for Kids Inc. has the right idea. The ages of 3-18 are formative years for people and I think that the confidence and personality that hair provides for people is incredibly important.
Aside from the fact that I appreciate the mission of this nonprofit organization, I also like how it handles applicants. Families that have a child experiencing hair loss as a result of a medical condition or struggle are already inundated with paperwork and stress. I believe that the simplistic design of the application for a wig from Wigs for Kids Inc. does a lot more than just offer hair to a child, it provides families with relief.
As someone who is probably genetically predisposed to hair loss, I know all too well the fear that comes with going bald. While obviously not as serious as losing hair to cancer treatments, just the idea of losing my hair terrifies me because of how much of myself is tied to my hair. For children, this is even more important because children are so much more focused on external and superficial factors and a lack of hair can easily make children feel like outsiders in a social climate that depends so much on how a person looks. I love that this charity does a great job at trying to solve that problem and add normalcy back to the lives of those affected by cancer.
ReplyDeleteI do have a question about this organization though. Are the funds raised by the charity solely dedicated towards providing wigs to children or do they donate money to research for childhood cancer as well?
Hello Sydney!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this organization with the class in your charity pitch. I remember your presentation being great and personally tugging on my heart strings. In addition, your stories and personal connection to Wigs for Kids is inspiring and I appreciate how detailed you were.
Your story about Grace reminded me of a similar story about a family member. When I was younger one go my family members had to get brain surgery which caused them to have to shave their head. I remember how much that affected her self-confidence. It was hard for me at a young age to fully understand why she had changed so much after losing her hair, but how the change had negatively affected her was evident. When she bought a wig, that was when she started to gain confidence and ultimately become more like her old self. Its was an almost instant transformation that allowed me to see how impactful losing hair can be to one’s self-esteem.
That was actually the main reason I started donating my hair to Pantene which has a similar purpose to Wigs for Kids. I have personally donated my hair to organizations like Wigs for Kids five times so far, and I know how impactful receiving a wig can be. It can empower young men and women to feel beautiful and gain self-confidence. Hair in a way becomes a big part of a lot of peoples’ identities, and organizations like Wigs for Kids help those with hair loss gain that identity back.
Overall, Wigs for Kids is a great organization so thank you for bringing it to my attention! As I grow my hair out to donate again, I will definitely remember to do it through Wigs for Kids!
Sincerely,
Lexi Murman
Sydney,
ReplyDeleteYour charity pitch was one of my favorites from the semester. I think Wigs for Kids does incredibly meaningful work. I remember really liking how you compared Wigs for Kids to Locks of Love, another popular hair donation charity. I had previously donated my hair when I was in middle school and made the uninformed decision to donate it to locks for love, which I would not have done if I had known about Wigs for Kids.
I also liked reading about your personal connection to wigs for kids and how you got to see first hand the impact that Wigs for kids makes on children's lives. Reading and hearing about your experience working at the Stony Brook University Children's Hospital made me appreciate Wigs for Kids even more. I am hopefully cutting my hair at the end of the summer and if it's long enough, I definitely want to donate it to wigs for kids.
-Chloe