Heather Daly, 13, Corvallis, OR ::: Last year, Heather was diagnosed with Graves disease - an autoimmune disease resulting from an overactive thyroid. Soon after, Heather began losing patches of her hair and was diagnosed with another autoimmune disease - Alopecia. Heather's white blood cells think of her hair follicles as germs and attack them.
Linear Accelerator - a complex treatment machine used in radiation oncology. When cancer cells try to divide after radiation they die because they do not have the repair mechanisms of normal cells.
A panel on the Linear Accelerator used for imaging. The radiation comes through the black square and makes contact with a phosphorous plate to capture an image.
Covers used to shield cancer patients undergoing radiation.
Tanisha Ranjel-Weiss, 15, Springfield, OR ::: On July 7, 2009 Tanisha was diagnosed with ALL - acute lymphoblastic lymphoma - a rare cancer that can attack the lymph nodes anywhere in the body, but usually manifests in blood or bone marrow. When Tanisha was diagnosed her hair was down to her waist - it started falling out shortly after she began chemo.
Entry to the chemotherapy room at Willamette Valley Cancer Center in Eugene, OR. Chemo drugs are used to control and kill rapidly dividing cancer cells.
Chemotherapy drugs being administered to a patient.
While chemo is an outpatient procedure, it is an uncomfortable and painful experience that can cause nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue and hair loss. Oncology clinics try to make patients feel as comfortable as possible when they come in for chemotherapy.
Teri Ann Jimenez, 14, Albany, OR ::: Teri was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in May 2009. During a CAT scan, the doctors discovered a cyst in Teri's brain - she underwent both chemo and brain surgery last summer. Teri says that the chemo made her feel awful, and when she woke up in the morning her pillowcase would be covered in hair.
Hematology lab at Willamette Valley Cancer Center.
Blood samples. Hematology oncology is key in monitoring and treating blood and bone marrow cancers.
Labels used in the hematology lab.
Heather ::: (Left) "It [Angel Hair] kind of helps me blend in. I kind of don't feel different." (Right) "I wasn't quite sure what to think about it." Heather was surprised and sad when she began losing her hair.
Tanisha ::: (Left) "When I have Angel Hair, people don't notice it's a wig. I feel like I have my hair back when I have it on." (Right) "I kept thinking that people would stare and I wouldn't look the same anymore." Tanisha says that she was very attached to her hair before she started chemo.
Teri ::: (Left) "If you have a positive attitude about anything it's easier to get through." Teri says that getting Angel Hair gave her a lot of confidence and helped her feel better about starting high school. (Right) "I was self conscious at first about starting high school with no hair." Teri's mother was equally worried about how the kids would recieve Teri. The Angel Hair made them both feel better.
Staci Wright, 17, Eugene, OR ::: Staci is the founder of Angel Hair Foundation. In 2006, Staci was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma - a bone cancer that was infecting her skull. Initially, doctors thought that Staci had an easily removable tumor, but when they biopsied it they discovered it was cancer. "It was kind of too shocking to process it," says Staci. She underwent chemo and soon lost her hair. "I know how it feels to be out in public with people looking at you and feeling self conscious, so I just wanted to help." Once Staci found her Angel Hair, she wanted to make it easily available to other kids who are fighting cancer.
![Heather ::: (Left) "It [Angel Hair] kind of helps me blend in. I kind of don't feel different." (Right) "I wasn't quite sure what to think about it." Heather was surprised and sad when she began losing her hair.](https://immunemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/UO_stalker_angelhair-15.jpg)
