November 15, 2009

I Met the “Hat Lady”

Posted in Beauty, Health, Life, Personal, story tagged Chemo hats, hat lady at 12:34 am by pdxfirefly

    When I was at the Cancer Center before my trip to Spain, I was waiting to be taken to the lab for my blood draw.  I had an unusally long wait because there was a mix-up regarding my appointment day.

   While waiting, a lady struck up a brief conversation with me and we continued talking for some time.   At one point I sat in the chair next to hers in order to present her with my business card and it was then that I noticed a large bag on the chair on the other side of her.  The bag was bulging over the top with items that were somehow familiar to me.    My immediate sense was that they look exactly like something that belongs to me and is in my house.  How can that be?  I looked more carefully and then I recognized the items in the bag.   The bag was over-filled with the soft Chemo hats that someone had made for the cancer patients at this center.

   It became very clear to me who this lovely woman was.  She is the “Hat Lady”.  She is the one who selflessly makes and donates hundreds of hats each year so that we can have some sense of dignity in the baldness that accompanies our killing Chemotherapy treatments.  

     I have two of them and I wear them all the time.   They travel with me,  even on a short overnight stay at my Son’s house.   I love these hats.  They are so soft and so comfortable and they keep your head warm, which is sometimes the primary reason for wearing one.   Now I was able to thank her personally and to give her a very heartfelt hug for providing these hats for us. 

   She told me her name, but since she wishes to remain anonymous, I will not reveal it here.   She has been making these Chemo hats and donating them for over 8 years.  What a wonderful thing to do and  I hope she realizes how appreciated her efforts are by all of us who are the lucky recipients of her generosity!   Thank you so very much, A…….

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