Braidless

I still have hair, or at least some of it. I had more or less been guaranteed that my hair would soon be falling out due to my chemotherapy treatments. I didn’t want to wait to find clumps of hair lying on my pillow some morning or coming out by the handfuls as I lathered my hair in the shower. And I wanted to save my long single braid. So while I was getting my first chemo treatment on the 7th, Bob asked the nurses at the infusion center if they could recommend someone for haircutting. He was told that Wendy Bevan in Fairhaven specialized in cuts for cancer patients. So Bob made an appointment for the two of us - he had decided that if I was going to be hairless, so would he.

Today was the day. I had prepared myself for a buzz cut, but Wendy said, “Let’s give you a ‘fun’ cut instead, to tide you over to the real ‘falling out’ stage.” The big moment came when the scissors snipped off the braid that represented two years of growing and living off the grid. Bob’s silver white hair was saved for another day and Wendy pronounced that the cut she gave him was a George Clooney look. She spent an hour and a half with us and when we asked how much we owed her she said, “Nothing. This is my way of giving back for the good health I enjoy.” In 2006 she started an organization called Tender Loving Hair, using her thirty years of experience to help cancer patients feel better about themselves and their appearance. Thank you Wendy for your gift.

Wendy Bevan, Tender Loving Hair

... PLM