3 Nassau Women 'Uplift' Women With Cancer, Help Preserve Their Hair

FLORAL PARK, NY — Two nurses and a photographer are combining their talents in Nassau County to "uplift and help" women with cancer by raising funds to donate so-called "cold caps," which can help reduce hair loss from chemotherapy.

Kristine Thomas recently donated her efforts as a photographer, holding photo shoots to raise money at her Floral Park home with Kathleen Pecinka, a nurse who battled breast cancer, and Sara Parise, an oncology nurse, for Caps of Courage.

The three realized that the cold caps make a huge difference in quality of life for female cancer patients, but that the cost can be prohibitively high for many. The caps start at $2,500 and are not covered by insurance.

“It is our belief that a woman fighting for her life should not have to choose between maintaining a healthy self-image and meals for her family," Parise told Patch.

"As an oncology nurse, I have seen firsthand how a using a cold cap can positively impact a woman’s life and overall persona during treatment. We are here to do what we can to uplift and help these women any way we can."

The caps are tightly-fitted cooling helmets patients wear during chemotherapy treatments and they help patients retain more hair.

"Utilizing the cold cap to decrease hair loss can increase a patient’s confidence, self-esteem and self-worth while undergoing a treatment regimen that can severely impact these mental health areas," Thomas wrote.

The women founded Caps of Courage last year and have since been able to purchase cold caps for three women.