SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — For many of us, there’s a sense of identity tied to our hair and how we choose to style it. That’s why picking out the perfect wig is often an important moment for cancer patients going through hair loss.
Three members of Sanford’s Oncology Team are making sure even more patients get the chance to find themselves through hair again.
Inside the Sanford Cancer Center you’ll find the Bloom Boutique. That is where patients navigating hair loss and appearance changes can find empowerment.
“So my job here is to help provide the patients that we see here that are undergoing treatment, help them pick out a wig that is a free gift to them,” cosmetologist Ashley Edblom said.
Thursday, three members of Sanford’s Oncology Team decided to do something special inside the Bloom Boutique.
“We have decided to cut our hair and to donate that to an organization as a way of giving back to our patients because then they can make wigs out of real hair that some of our patients might be able to utilize,” nurse practitioner Jill Waggoner said.
This is something Jill Waggoner has done before.
“It’s always just been a way that I feel like I can give back to people in need, in a rather simple way. My saying has always been that somebody needs it more than I do,” Waggoner said.
For another team member, it’s her first time.
“I think it’s awesome that people are willing to donate their hair to a bunch of different causes so that other people, who are not part of our Sanford family, can receive wigs as well,” Edblom said.
The three women are sending their hair to the program Wigs for Kids, so children across North America can feel like themselves again.
“A lot of times the patients don’t want to be looked at differently so being able to have a wig or a wig of real hair that they can style however they want. Helps them kind of hold on to their own identity even while they’re going through this journey,” Waggoner said.
All together, the three members of Sanford’s Oncology Team cut off 199 inches or just over 16 feet of hair on Thursday.
The Bloom Boutique does not typically do these types of appointments, but if you are interested in donating your hair, check out these organizations that accept hair donations:
- Wigs for Kids: https://www.wigsforkids.org/
- Children with Hair Loss: https://childrenwithhairloss.org/hair-donation/
- Locks of Love: https://locksoflove.org/
- Hair We Share: https://hairweshare.org/
- Children with Hair Loss: https://childrenwithhairloss.org/
- Pink Heart Funds: https://pinkheartfunds.org/
