Blanca Diaz-Martinez, our Midwest Territory Manager, first heard of Wellness House for Living with Cancer when we got involved to facilitate a Chella product donation from a local Spa to the Wellness House. Inspired by the work being done at this organization, Blanca knew she wanted to do her part to give back.
Wellness House offers nearly 500 monthly programs at no cost to individuals with cancer and their families. Their goal is to assist patients & their families with social, emotional, physical, spiritual, and psychological support during a very difficult time.
During cancer treatment, many people lose their hair (including brow hair). This sudden, unexpected change to one’s physical appearance can be an added stressor and an emotional journey for many cancer patients. It’s often felt that losing that last strand of hair symbolizes a loss of control over their circumstances. Many people further equate losing their hair to a loss of identity, further perpetuating a very personal and understandably, traumatizing experience. While there are many amazing people, programs, groups, and social media channels that teach cancer patients to embrace hair loss, find new ways of self-expression, feel a sense of control, and find new ways to grapple with personal identity, there’s also a need to help people find a sense of normalcy and feel empowered. At Chella, we always encourage you to embrace your natural beauty, but we also strive to help you feel your best. Blanca saw these needs and how they aligned with Chella’s mission and began teaching a class built on the principles of being beautiful inside and out. This class affords patients struggling with hair loss to feel empowered in their beauty and provides the sense of normalcy that a simple act like doing one’s makeup can bring.
Below, Blanca discusses her journey and why Chella is proud to make an impact, no matter how big or small.
“Hello, Beautiful, a new collaborative program with our affiliate University of Illinois Cancer Center allows me to serve a diverse community. Many participants in my class are those who lose brow hair during cancer treatment. Participants are color-matched for their brow shade and receive complimentary beauty products prior to class. We support them with a two-part process.
Each class begins by acknowledging that beauty comes from within and that makeup can be used as a tool to complement and highlight -- never hide-- natural beauty. I teach our Chella How to Brow in 3 Easy Steps to participants because it is simple and effective. Participants follow along and learn each step to create natural-filled brows on themselves. It's beautiful to see the joy of a participant when they can create beautiful brows with the help of makeup. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work for Chella, share my passion for makeup, and serve my community.”
XO,
Blanca
The best position we can be in life is where we can share our gifts to help one other.