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Hair Loss, Looking Great Under Cancer Treatment


Hair Loss, Looking Great Under Cancer Treatment
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Hair loss is one of the unfortunate side effects of some cancer treatments, but one survivor decided that losing her hair didn’t mean she couldn’t look and feel great. Maxim Moskalkov has the story.

((NARRATION))
((Amy Hindman, Designer))
“This one is dyed with indigo as well, but very light indigo, and then overdyed with onion skins, yellow onion skins that made this really gorgeous yellow print…”

((NARRATION))
Amy Hindman, a Virginia-based designer, makes scarves only from organic materials and natural dyes, like nuts, roots, leaves and onion skins. She also grows a wide variety of plants and flowers on her little farm close to Washington, D.C.

((Amy Hindman, Designer)) 0002; 06:24
“There are flowers that are known to have dye properties, that have been used as natural dyes for centuries really, and some of the ones that I grow are marigolds. They grow wonderfully in this zone, they are very hearty, and they make a really beautiful yellow and orange, and even black sometimes!”

((NARRATION))
Hindman says it takes from one to two weeks to manufacture one scarf. Each of her creations is intricately decorated and has a soothing motive – that’s Hindman’s tribute to her own very difficult path. In 2009 just after giving birth, she was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. Hindman immediately started treatment at Johns Hopkins University.

((Amy Hindman, Designer))
“What was interesting is their treatment plan was completely different than I had originally gotten from the doctor that I saw first. It’s something that has been eye-opening…”

((NARRATION))
Chеmotherapy and beam-therapy, double mastectomy, breast reconstruction surgery and – since Hindman was in a high-risk group – ovariectomy. During the long treatment, her hair started falling out, but her love for scarves got stronger – and took on a whole new purpose.

((Amy Hindman, Designer))
“I started trying on different scarves and wearing wigs and realizing how absolutely terrible the options on the market were – and also how hot and uncomfortable wigs are!”

((NARRATION))
The American Society of Clinical Oncology gave Hindman two grants to launch her own line of headscarves. Five percent of every sale benefits Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, or FORCE, an organization that provides resources for hereditary breast and ovarian cancers.

Hindman admits that it was thoughts about her children and about other women suffering from cancer that helped her fight off the disease.

((Amy Hindman, Designer))
“I owe it to my daughters, and I want them to see how you can come back from something really hard and you can get through it.”

((NARRATION))
Hindman has many loyal clients all over the United States.

((MANDATORY COURTESY: SKYPE))
((Jackie Graham, Customer))
“It’s crazy to say that but I almost think that having cancer has made her better. She’s a warrior!”
((END COURTESY))

((NARRATION))
Hindman plans to open a little studio where women can learn to work with organic materials. Later this year, Hindman hopes to move beyond scarves to create a collection of dresses.

((Maxim Moskalkov, for VOA News, Manassas, Virginia))
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