COMSTOCK PARK, Mich — A West Michigan salon is helping women and young girls battling cancer regain confidence and strength during treatment.
“Being here definitely gives you a sense of that you're still who you are before this happens,” said Karen Hopman, who is living with stage three ovarian cancer.
The nonprofit salon, Beautiful You by Profile, offers free wigs and complimentary salon services to women undergoing cancer treatment.
Founder Pam Westers opened the salon in 2014 after being inspired by a documentary about a similar space.
“My passion has always been to serve others and make women feel beautiful,” Westers said. “Making these women that are going through this feel just amazing and loved and cared for. It was just like, we just have to do this here.”
The first year, Westers said, the salon served eight women. Since then, more than 6,000 have received services.
“I don't think we've ever had to turn anybody away,” Westers said. “We do the wig fittings, the head shaves, all the different gifts that we give them, and the chemo bags.”
For Hopman, the experience has been priceless.
“I'm so grateful,” she said. “It's a great place for you to just breathe and cry and do whatever you need to do here, because they'll just… they accept you the way you are, and it's wonderful.”
Westers said Beautiful You by Profile now has boutiques in several West Michigan cancer centers.
“There's not a client that leaves without tears, and it's just amazing,” she said. “Week after week and month after month, it just it's exploding, and it's sad because there's a lot of cancer, but we're so happy that we are able to bring joy to women who are going through this.”
Westers said they hope to open more centers soon.
More information about Beautiful You by Profile, click here.
As the FOX 17 and Lake Michigan Credit Union Pay it Forward Person of the Month, Westers receives a $550 prize.
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