Wigged Out, Inc received a $10,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities which will help support financial assistance for wigs for women and children with medically related hair loss. Funding from Thunderbirds Charities will provide approximately 40 additional wigs to women and children in Arizona, which is equal to approximately one month of applicants. Although wigs are often seen as vanity items, they provide an opportunity to restore a sense of self and improve mental health for individuals experiencing hair loss due to medical conditions, such as cancer, alopecia, or autoimmune disorders.
The high cost of quality, well fitting wigs puts them out of reach for the women and children that Wigged Out serves, who are often living on limited incomes and frequently have to choose between their treatments, medications, and their daily living expenses, leaving no room for “extras” such as a wig. The support from Thunderbirds Charities will help women such as Joni, 67, who is battling breast cancer. She describes her experience with hair loss: “I loved my hair and it was devastating to lose it all and have no control at all over how or when. You look in the mirror and don’t recognize yourself. It is a constant reminder of the battle going on inside your body, and an unwanted billboard to the world that you’re sick – I wanted to be in control of how I presented myself, even if I couldn’t totally control what was happening inside. Hair is fun and beautiful and confidence boosting, and wearing my wig helped me remember I’m still me, and that nothing can take that away.”
Thank you to Thunderbirds Charities for improving the lives of so many women and children in our community experiencing medically related hair loss.
This grant is part of the Spring 2023 cycle. View a list of all Recent Grantees.