A woman who runs a cancer charity which collects headscarves and chemotherapy wear has said she wants to make the items accessible for everyone.
Jo Knight, from Dover, set up Preloved Reloved Cancer & Beyond five years ago following her own diagnosis of breast cancer in 2017.
After her diagnosis, Knight had a double mastectomy and chemotherapy, which left her with persistent chemotherapy induced alopecia (CIA).
Knight said for many the thought of losing their hair can leave them “absolutely devastated and quite traumatised.”
She said that because “we live in such a ‘throw-away’ culture”, lots of cancer accessories are inaccessible due to their cost.
CIA occurs as chemotherapy drugs target all rapidly dividing cells, including hair follicles.
For many patients, hair loss is temporary but it can still have a lasting impact.
Knight said for many people the thought of losing their hair can leave them “absolutely devastated and quite traumatised”.
“It’s really important to give somebody the confidence to be able to carry on as normally as you can when going through treatment,” she said.
