At Roswell Park, caring for patients goes beyond medical treatment. Offering support every step of the way is a core element of the Roswell Park experience, and that includes providing resources for patients experiencing hair loss. The New Era Cap Foundation Elevate Salon is a specialty salon for cancer patients that offers pretreatment haircuts, wig and head covering selection, wig styling, inpatient or outpatient head shaving, helpful information about hair loss during cancer treatment and more.
This resource is entirely donor funded, and your gifts are changing lives, including those of the Roswell Park patients whose photos you see on display.
Music has been a staple in Mrs. Cyrilann Clark’s life for as long as she can remember. For decades, you could find her perched on a bench at Roswell Park, filling the lobby with the sounds of her favorite songs from the 30s— 60s as she delicately stroked the piano keys before her. She volunteered at Roswell for years, bringing her gift as a pianist to patients during their cancer journeys, hoping to lighten their spirits. What Cyrilann didn’t expect was that, decades later, at the age of 86, she’d walk through the doors of Roswell Park for a very different reason.
Cyrilann had discovered a lump on her breast that was later diagnosed as stage 3 breast cancer. Her daughter, Denise, called around and eventually got Cyrilann into Roswell Park.
“What a blessing that we were able to come here and get her in,” Densie said. “Who would think that, at 86, you get diagnosed? But the longer you live, something's bound to come up. And we're blessed that the team at Roswell is wonderful.”
Cyrilann’s treatment included three medications — now two — and chemotherapy every three weeks. When her hair started falling out, she was referred to Roswell Park’s New Era Cap Foundation Elevate Salon. She tried on several different wigs, with staff members cheering her on with a refrain of ‘that looks good on you!”
When asked what this donor-funded resource has meant to her, Cyrilann smiled and answered simply: “Well, that somebody else cares.”
Seeing the care that she gave to patients years ago in Roswell Park’s lobby come back to her has been incredible.
Three years later, at 89, Cyrilann scans are starting to show incredible promise, and she’s looking forward to what’s ahead. That includes celebrating her 90th birthday next May — and looking and feeling good while doing it.
Joe Gadowski, 90, has a joy about him that you might not expect to find within the walls of a cancer center. He and his wife, Nancy, have been spotted on more than one occasion dancing in the lobby. He jokes, “Without a wife, you have no life.” In fact, it was his wife who noticed his first occurrence of breast cancer 17 years ago. She encouraged him to get a mammogram.
“I was diagnosed on Friday, and I was in surgery Monday morning,” Joe remembered. “I got Dr. Stephen Edge and Dr. Ellis Levine. And they're the best in the world. I can't say more than for Roswell Park.”
Joe’s treatment included a mastectomy and chemotherapy. The regimen was successful, and Joe was cancer-free.
16 years later, his cancer returned; it had metastasized to the bone. This time, however, the options available at Roswell Park were less invasive and aggressive, thanks to advancements in cancer research.
“This is much easier and simpler because you don't have to sit in a chair for hours. I take three pills a night for three weeks, then go into Roswell monthly for a shot to lower my testosterone and an infusion every three months to strengthen my bones," Joe stated, reflecting on the progress made over the last two decades.
Another change from his first diagnosis, today, Joe has leaned on the support of several donor-funded resources including the New Era Cap Foundation Elevate Salon.
“They're the greatest,” Joe said of the salon staff. “You walk in there and the young ladies sit down with you. The first day I went in there, I went for a haircut because I had a little more hair, not like now.”
Joe opted out of getting a wig, but he did get three caps from the salon, including a wool hat for the winter and, of course, one for dancing.
The New Era Cap Foundation Elevate Salon is one example of what sets Roswell Park apart from other facilities treating cancer patients.
“If it wasn’t for Roswell, I wouldn’t be here today,” Joe added. “It's the people that make it, and Roswell has it,” Joe added.
For Amanda Martinez, 39, trying on different wigs is a chance to tap into joy. Her wigs come in different colors and lengths, including a red one that’s a real contrast to her usual style.
“I told my husband to change his haircut, too, because people around town are going to think he has different girls,” she jokes.
Last July, Amanda was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia after a whirlwind diagnosis and an intensive and emotionally draining treatment journey. Her diagnosis came after months of bruising and exhaustion led her to get bloodwork. She suspected an iron deficiency, but the call she received from her doctor was much more grim.
“I changed into workout clothes, and I was getting ready to jump on my rebounder when my phone rang,” she recalled. “I answer the call, and they're like, ‘You need to get down to the ER right away. Your platelets are at 9,000.’ I had no idea what platelets were.” A normal range is typically between 150,000 and 400,000 platelets per microliter.
She was soon transferred by ambulance to Roswell Park, four hours away from her hometown. Since then, Amanda’s treatment journey has been a long one, ladled with side effects from a blood infection to C. Diff and everything in between. This spring, after completing the first round of treatment, she discovered her cancer came back. Now, she’s undergoing a second chemotherapy regiment.
During her first round of treatment, Amanda held on to her hair for as long as possible. On the day she shaved it off, she did it knowing that she had resources to help. Roswell Park’s New Era Cap Foundation Elevate Salon, funded by donor dollars, supplied Amanda with a head scarf. Then came wig shopping. At first, she tried to stick to her natural color, but she soon branched out and leaned into having fun.
“I miss my hair, but at the same time it's kind of fun to play around. I told them, even once my hair grows back, I might still wear them once in a while just for fun. Why not?”
Through all of the trials, her husband has been a strong hand to hold every step of the way. Amanda also recognizes the kindness of the strangers who have funded essential resources like the Elevate Salon.
“I think that they're amazing. They have the hugest hearts,” she said. “It's incredible how kind people are, and we don't see enough of that in the world in general.”
Leah White, 37, prides herself on her personal style. Dressed in cheetah print, in honor of her late mother, her positive attitude and incredible energy are reflected in the way she presents herself. However, cancer, for a time, seemed to take that from her.