Duke Cancer Center boutique provides free wigs for chemo patients

DURHAM (WTVD) -- For anyone going through chemotherapy, the side effect of hair loss can be devastating.

"It's horrendous to a lot of patients," explained two-time breast cancer survivor and Duke oncology nurse, Carol Franklin. "They're worried about that...a lot of times more [worried] than about the breast cancer."

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For Franklin, the hair loss was difficult, but it was made a little easier after finding the Belk Boutique at Duke's Cancer Institute, where many wigs, hats, and turbans are offered to patients at no cost.

"I knew we had a boutique, but, I hadn't really been into it or checked it out per se until I knew I was going to lose my hair," Franklin said. "I found the perfect wig and it was one of the free ones!"

For a nationwide service, the non-profit ebeauty.com provides free wigs to patients with a doctors note as well as a platform to recycle used wigs to be refurbished.

Boutique coordinator Marquette Jeffery says the no cost service is available to all patients, not just those being treated at Duke.

"It's also open to the public as well," Jeffery said. "So as long as they are actively in treatment, they are offered this program."

"The travel expenses and things like that it costs a lot and it wears on them and they may not be able to afford maybe retail so we offer the no charge to them," she continued.

The Belk Boutique is located on the main level of the Duke Cancer Center and is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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