Helping patients feel like themselves again

If you visit St. Charles Cancer Center in Bend, you may notice a bright pink wagon. Known as the Wig Wagon, this colorful cart is filled with wigs in all kinds of fun styles and colors, all offered at no cost to qualified patients thanks to support from Sara's Project through St. Charles Foundation.

For many patients, hair loss is one of the more emotional parts of treatment, often affecting their confidence and sense of identity, according to Linda Robson, a social services association with St. Charles. That's why Robson and Nurse Navigator Sadie Robinson started the Wig Wagon program - they saw firsthand the need for patients to have access to wigs to offer a sense of comfort during a difficult time.

"When a patient finds a wig they like, they are visibly lighter," Robson said. "They'll say, 'This feels like me,' and you can see the relief in their whole body."

Since the Wig Wagon began in 2023, the program has provided more than 150 qualified patients with wigs, helping them feel like themselves again.