Chennai Foundation gives free wigs to boost poor cancer patients morale

It was a special event for The Cherian Foundation as it was celebrating the 10th anniversary of their campaign “Gift Hair Gift Confidence” in Chennai last weekend.

The signature campaign of the Foundation was started as a tribute to the grandmother of Sara Benjamin Cherian, the trustee of the organisation as she also suffered from cancer. Working in collaboration with Raj Hair Internationals and B&H Exports, the NGO, makes and gifts wigs to patients of cancer who belong to poor sections of the society. This gives them the confidence while undergoing the chemotherapy treatment and helps to overcome the stigma of hair-loss due to it.

As per a study done by the Adyar Cancer Institute, women wearing wigs respond much better to cancer treatment than to those who don’t wear them.

It was in 2014 that the first donation of the wig was done in collaboration with the Women’s Christian College and 24 wigs were donated. Following this, the Foundation received hair donations from more than 50 institutions.

On receiving the hair, it is sent to B&H Exports to be sorted, washed, dried and tied into separate bundles. The bundles are sorted on the basis of texture, size and colour. It is then dyed, treated and styled and through machines wefting is done to make wigs.

This year the Foundation to marks its 20th anniversary and the 10th of Gift Hair Gift Confidence campaign will donate 250 wigs to

To mark the beginning of the 20th anniversary of The Cherian Foundation, and the 10th anniversary of Gift Hair Gift Confidence, the foundation will be giving 250 wigs to four hospitals — Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, Kancheepuram’s Arignar Anna Hospital, Kolkata’s CNCI and Gujarat Cancer Institute.