Head Bands Of Hope... Fighting Childhood Cancer
Bio: Jessica Ekstrom is a senior at North Carolina State University
studying communications. She launched Headbands of Hope in April 2012 during
her junior year. Since then, her company has been featured on the TODAY Show
and TOMS Shoes Blog.
Almost everyone can think of a moment where they knew their life was
about to change. For me, my moment was right before my 20th birthday in the
summer of 2011. I began my internship at the Make-a-Wish Foundation that I can confidently
say, changed my life forever.
Everyday, I got to wake up and grant the wishes of children with
life-threatening illnesses. I took day trips to visit the wish kids at their
houses and bring them their favorite toys. We received hundreds of letters from
wish children that said we changed their lives; little did they know, they were
changing mine.
I thought about the thousands of girls around the world losing their
hair to chemotherapy. Being a young girl presents many struggles with
self-esteem already and losing their hair as a result of a life-threatening
illness is traumatic.
For girls and women everywhere, their hair is a part of their feminine
identity. Wigs can be uncomfortable and unappealing, especially to younger
girls.
I realized that headbands are the perfect way for these girls to keep
their feminine identity and have a constant reminder that they're not alone.
Therefore, I started HeadbandsOfHope.org.
For every headband purchased, one headband will go to a girl with
cancer and $1 will be donated to the St. Baldrick's Foundation to fund
life-saving childhood cancer research.
Since I launched in May of this year, I've sold thousands of headbands
online and in stores around the nation. I created a company where I didn't have
to choose between making a living and making a difference. I can wake up and do
both at the same time.
I’ve had the opportunity to distribute headbands to girls in the
hospitals across the nation. The best part of my job is opening the door to
their room and seeing their faces light up when I bring dozens of colorful
headbands to their beds to choose from.
Even though it’s fun and fulfilling to bring the girls headbands in the
hospitals, I’m constantly reminded that there still isn’t a cure.
Childhood cancer takes the lives of more children in the U.S. than any
other disease - in fact, more than many other childhood diseases
combined.
Children with cancer cannot be treated simply as "smaller
adults." The cancers strike kids differently and they are in a crucial
stage of development, which complicates the effects of treatments and can
result in life-long complications.
Progress is also especially slow in curing adolescents and young
adults, because federal funding for childhood cancers is a fraction compared to
adult cancers.
Therefore, attention needs to be brought to childhood cancer. Progress
can't be made without research. Research can't be done without funding. And
funding can't be done without awareness.
Headbands of Hope aims to start with awareness and end with a cure. Together,
we can spread hope in all girls…one headband at a time.
Links:
Website: www.headbandsofhope.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/headbandsofhope
Twitter: www.twitter.com/headbandsofhope
Instagram handle: @headbandsofhope
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/headbandsofhope
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