Information for Patients

Center for Image Renewal Offers Salon Services with a Heart

Oncology Nurse Finds a Convenient Way to Donate Her Hair to Help Patients with Cancer

Laura Riley, R.N., is an oncology nurse who works in the Infusion Center in the Stoler Pavilion, where she administers chemotherapy to patients undergoing treatment for cancer.

I am a procrastinator of many things, and near the top of my list is getting my hair cut. So after months of watching it grow longer and longer, thinking, "I need to get it cut. I'm too old for hair this long," I ran into my teenage niece, who was growing her hair to donate. First, I had a twinge of envy; then it hit me: that's what I'll do! And, I'll have an excuse to let it grow longer, at least for awhile.

Since I had donated my hair twice before, I know all about Locks of Love, an organization that takes donated human hair and makes wigs for children who have lost theirs due to any circumstances. I work with adult cancer patients, and I know the effect losing their hair can have on them, so I can only imagine what it must be like for children, even those who have no other illness except for genetic alopecia.

The "new" Laura, with cosmetologist Sheila Sule-Gold

Then I found out about Sheila (Sule-Gold), a cosmetologist at our very own Center for Image Renewal in the medical center. She is a professional hair stylist, among other things, and because I would be donating my hair, not only would the location be convenient--I could have my hair cut following a staff meeting on my otherwise day off-- the price was right: free! It was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse.

On the day of the donation, I was concerned that my hair was not quite long enough, but indeed it was. Sheila did a fabulous job, as confirmed by my coworkers immediately after the "procedure"!

Thanks Sheila, Paulette, and everybody at the Center for Image Renewal, as well as all of my co-workers for the positive feedback!

For more information about the Center for Image Renewal at the University of Maryland Medical Center, please call 410-328- 9154.

This page was last updated on: April 7, 2009.