Previously, WiMo News published an announcement about my hair donation of hair to Children with Hair Loss. I had a good feeling about the organization and spoke with its founder Regina Villemure, to find out more. She started the company in honor of her niece Sarah Mouser who suffered from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia starting at age three and then received chemotherapy for five years.
Villemure noticed first hand how difficult it was for a child to be without hair. She devoted her life to learning about hair restoration and founded Children with Hair Loss in 2000. Sarah is now a college student and fully recovered while the need for hair restoration for sick children remains high.
"When children get their hair restoration they show self confidence, self esteem and come alive" said Villemure.
CWHL is unique in many ways. They never charge money for the children or family for the hair. Families are already devastated by the child's illness. Unfortunately, insurance does not cover hair or wigs noted Villemure. CWHL helps children of all illnesses and specially designs the wigs or hair pieces to meet the children's needs including illnesses such as cancer, burn victims, radiation or alopecia. They have partnered with hair salons across the nation to get the right hair style and design.
Because she was salon owner and versed in hair restoration, Villemure devised a better way to donate hair. CWHL shows donating participants via a video by Kayla Martell, Miss Delaware 2010, ways to separate the hair into five sections allowing for less hair to be cut to make styling easier.
"When you cut one pony tail in the back, it makes the front hair short," said Villemure.
The organization also accepts hair that is layered, colored or with gray and has partnered with a manufacturer that can use hair as short as eight inches long, although longer hair is preferred.
"We listen to our children, they told us the wigs were too hot, so we designed a way for the wigs to stay on without a full seal and breathe, if that's what they need," said Villemure.
Popular ways for hair donaters to find the organization is through Facebook posting to the CWHL Facebook page directly, via Twitter and a strong Internet presence, she noted.
Human hair natural looking hair restoration is very expensive, the wigs CWHL give to children are valued at $2,000 t0 $5,000, and the family pays absolutely nothing for the customize wigs and also receive free hair car products from TIGI Hair Care maker of Bed Head, Catwalk, S-factor, Rockaholic,Copyright Color and TIGI Hair Reborn.
CHWL also helps children of any age recently a hair replacement was give nto an 18-month girl with alopecia. Villemure. said that after her hair replace the girl looked happy and adorable.
During the holiday season, we see many places asking for donations, if you are planning to cut your hair, you can give the gift of a new hair style and outlook by donating your hair to Children with Hair Loss.
You can see in the photo above how real the wigs look, the almost five-year-old Taryn Oberthein o received a beautiful wig from Children with Hair Loss has stage four Neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer. Taryn had a spa day, recently at Blush Salon & Spa in Cedar Rapids through the Hello Gorgeous of HOPE program. CHWL participates in the program.
CHWL also accepts monetary contributions.