Showing the Real Faces of Cancer

Learning that she’d lose her hair was the biggest blow to her psyche. She would no longer have her crowning glory — her beautiful blonde locks. She began looking into purchasing a wig, but her first shopping experience devastated her. She says that instead of feeling any type of compassion from the owners of the store, it was a rather cold and sterile experience.
After that, Heidi began to formulate the idea of opening her own boutique. She wanted to give women the love and compassion she had craved during her wig consultation. She wanted her place to be more than just a place where you can buy new hair — she wanted to help women battle what she calls their ‘cancer storms.’That was the beginning of Awakenings Boutique: Wigs, Healing, Recovery, Gifts.
Heidi is aware that women often look online to research wigs and to see what it would be like to wear one. She also knows that the pictures are of beautiful, professional models. “Immediately they think, ‘I won’t be able to do this. I’m not a professional model. I’m going to look sick,’” Heidi says.
She began to think about how she could feature real women, women with cancer, in a photo shoot. By picturing them wearing the wigs, it would show other cancer patients what it’s really like. Thus, the Real Faces of Cancer was born. “These are customers I’ve followed through their cancer storms. I wanted women who are currently going through cancer treatment or who have just completed it,” Heidi says.
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