Rockinghorse is funding some beautiful headscarves for children losing their hair during cancer treatment.
There are many difficulties to cope with if you have been diagnosed with cancer: the inevitable worry, what the treatment will involve, how long you will be ill for and so much more.
But for children it can be even harder. Often it can be tough for them to completely understand what’s going on not to mention how scary it can be to visit hospital for long and painful treatment.
And added to this is the potential change to their appearance that chemotherapy can have, including losing their hair. They already feel different from their friends by having to miss school or clubs due to their illness but to add to it all you then look so much different from everyone else.
Dr Alice Emond
This is why we are funding 50 bespoke hair accessories made by Silk and Lawn, a hair accessories brand that creates beautiful readymade turbans and wide headbands that can be worn during illness and through treatment.
Dr Alice Emond, child and family psychologist providing specialist therapy to young cancer patients and their families, approached Rockinghorse with the project after seeing the impact that treatment had on her patients.
Dr Emond said: “Hair loss due to chemotherapy treatment can have a significant emotional impact on patients of all ages. Offering patients, a quality bespoke hair accessory designed specifically for hair loss can help give coverage and confidence as well as joy to patients during a very tough time.”
Katie de Toney, who founded Silk and Lawn with her mother Susan, explained why their products are so helpful for children going through a cancer diagnosis: “It’s been a real privilege to be asked to be involved in this Rockinghorse project and help as many children as we can in the Royal Alex Paediatric Oncology ward.
“Many of our Silk & Lawn turban customers are from the cancer community who are experiencing a period of hair loss in their life but don’t want to compromise on style or comfort and it is lovely to be able to offer this to children dealing with cancer too.”
Nine-year-old Venus Hinds from Newhaven has been given one of these beautiful headbands while being treated for a tumour situation between the back of her eyes and the front of her brain.
Venus lost her hair during the 85 weeks of chemotherapy that she had to have as part of her treatment. And whilst it is slowly growing back her hair is still quite short, so the headband helps Venus feel a bit more comfortable.
Her mum Michelle said: “These headbands are nice and wide so while the hair is still growing, they make a nice transition. They feel comfortable on her scalp as it’s very sensitive while her hair grows, and it also brings a bit of uniqueness for a child going through a difficult period.”
And for Venus, she added: “I really like the design and how it works. And it feels really comfy!”
To find out more about these wonderful headbands, visit the Silk and Lawn website at www.silkandlawn.com.
And to find out more about Dr Emond’s roles, click here.
