Compassionhat Partners with CANSA
4 February 2020 – Compassionhat, headwear designed specifically for cancer Survivors, was awarded the CANSA Seal of Recognition status as a CANSA Smart Choice product aimed at improving quality of life and dignity.
Sue Richards, owner of Compassionhats, says, “The loss of hair, a side effect of chemotherapy, can be traumatic for cancer patients leading to a decline in dignity, identity and self-esteem. And so Compassionhat was inspired by and created in loving memory of my sister, Yolanda Rackham as an affordable alternative to wigs.”
Yolanda was diagnosed with acute leukaemia and like many cancer patients had to face hair loss. After noticing her sister’s decline in mood and self-esteem after losing her hair, Sue created the hats as a home project to give back her sister’s dignity as she could not find any headwear in South Africa specifically designed for cancer patients.
What makes these Hats so Unique?
Lorinda Van Dyk, CANSA’s Seal of Recognition Coordinator, added, “We’re so glad to award the CANSA Smart Choice Seal as the hats positively help improve the quality of life of cancer Survivors and enhance dignity. The affordable hats were also tested for sun protection properties and the results showed a protection factor greater than 50 (UPF 50+). However, we still recommend taking extra care when outdoors in direct sunlight for the areas not covered by the hat (face, ears or neck) and applying sunscreen regularly.”
The hats are uniquely designed to fit a head with little to no hair and designed to cover the entire natural hairline to make hair loss less obvious. It also traps hair inside for easy collection caused by falling hair. The custom colours and prints give patients fashionable, unique options to style themselves and feel beautiful.
Great care is taken when selecting the fabric for the hats and the cotton lycra fabric used for manufacturing is breathable, soft, thermo dynamic (cool in summer and hot in winter) and is free of harmful chemicals or dyes to ensure that the sensitive skin (as result of chemotherapy) is not irritated or sensitised.
Compassionhat are available for purchase online at www.compassionhat.com or can be purchased at CANSA’s Care Centres countrywide from March 2020.
(For more information, please contact Lucy Balona, Head: Marketing and Communication at CANSA at email lbalona@cansa.org.za. Call 011 616 7662 or mobile 082 459 5230.)
About CANSA
CANSA offers a unique integrated service to the public and to all people affected by cancer. CANSA is a leading role-player in cancer research and the scientific findings and knowledge gained from our research are used to realign our health programmes, as well as strengthen our watchdog role to the greater benefit of the public. Our health programmes comprise health and education campaigns; CANSA Care Centres that offer a wide range of care and support services to those affected by cancer; stoma and other clinical support; medical equipment hire, as well as a toll-free line to offer information and support. We also supply patient care and support in the form of 12 CANSA Care Homes in the main metropolitan areas for out-of-town cancer patients and CANSA-TLC lodging for parents and guardians of children undergoing cancer treatment.
Queries CANSA
Visit www.cansa.org.za or contact the nearest CANSA Care Centre, call CANSA toll-free 0800 22 66 22 or email: info@cansa.org.za. In addition to online resources and Facebook support groups, CANSA offers multi-lingual support on WhatsApp: 072 197 9305 for English and Afrikaans and 071 867 3530 for Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho and Siswati. Follow CANSA on Twitter: @CANSA (http://www.twitter.com/CANSA), join CANSA on Facebook: CANSA The Cancer Association of South Africa and follow CANSA on Instagram: @cancerassociationofsouthafrica and LinkedIn.
