When Patricia Greene learned she would need a stem cell transplant and probably lose her hair, she remembered signs she had seen around Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute about a wig program where patients could get fitted for a free wig.
The Palmyra woman stopped by the Wig Salon – located inside the first floor infusion room – to chat with volunteer and breast cancer survivor Linda Breniser. Together, they tried different colors and styles until they found one suitable for Greene.
“I wanted to be prepared for when I lost my hair, but I wouldn’t have had time to go elsewhere and look for a wig,” Greene said. “It is such an awesome program. To lose your hair is really hard on a woman and they were so considerate and kind and patient. … It made me feel so much better.”
Representatives from the American Cancer Society recently came to Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Wig Salon’s opening and the fact that salon volunteers have fitted 228 women with free wigs – more than any other Wig Salon in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Read more about the Wig Salon in this Penn State Medicine feature.