Checking in With Eleni: A Wigs For Kids Recipient

9-year-old Eleni is a vibrant and energetic kid who enjoys writing short stories, participating in theatre, swimming, and gymnastics, and spending time with family and friends. She’s in the 4th grade and goes to school each morning with a smile, excited to see her friends and teachers. She admires her Mimi (grandma) and talks to her almost every day, despite living in different states. She’s got the songs from KPop Demon Hunters playing on repeat. She also has alopecia.

At just 12 months old, Eleni first started losing hair on the back of her head. At first, her family thought it was just from rubbing her head on the crib mattress, but by the time she was 15 months old, she was completely bald and lost all of the hair on her eyebrows and eyelashes. Shortly thereafter, Eleni was diagnosed with Alopecia Universalis. Eleni had a few bouts of patchy hair growth, but every time she did, the hair eventually fell out again.

When asked about her hair loss journey, Eleni shares, “I was too young to remember losing my hair. I have been bald since 2-years-old. It’s difficult going out in public without hair, because I get a lot of stares. Sometimes strangers come up to me and ask if I’m sick. I thank them for caring, but it’s tough to explain my condition to strangers. I know there are other kids and adults who have problems with hair loss, and I hope to meet more kids and adults who look like me.”

To help Eleni avoid unwanted attention, her family researched options for wigs and discovered Wigs For Kids. Through our recipient program, we provide hairpieces to kids dealing with medical hair loss at no cost to any family, thanks to the generosity of our hair and financial donors. Eleni’s mom shares, “The generosity of Wigs For Kids has made a positive impact on our family‘s hair loss journey with Eleni. We are thankful for the free wig that Eleni received. Eleni decides when she wants to wear her wig, and she is comfortable with herself with or without hair.”

Eleni’s family worked with stylist Roszetta Pringle of Still You Hair Solutions to select the proper cap size and color for the hairpiece. Once the hairpiece was created, the family returned to Roszetta’s salon for styling, and to learn how to care for Eleni’s new hair going forward. Eleni shared, “It was exciting to take my hair to the salon to get a haircut for the first time!”

Reflecting on her hair loss journey, Eleni shares, “Sometimes it can be hard to embrace hair loss, but you can find the light in any difficult situation. You should always think of the good things that are happening in your life, and you should be proud of your bravery. Being brave isn’t easy, but Wigs For Kids has helped me and my family by supporting us and teaching us compassion. I encourage other families to be brave and reach out to Wigs For Kids for help.”

Eleni also shares, “Having a wig has impacted my life by making me more comfortable in certain situations. For example, I wear my hair to stores, restaurants, and other public places because it helps me to feel confident with myself. Without my hair I feel confident, but the wig just helps me feel more confident in other situations. I enjoy brushing my hair, styling my hair, and the feeling of my hair blowing in the wind.”

“The quality of the hair is amazing. It looks like real hair and feels like it too. I get a lot of compliments on my hair from people. I like to wear the hair. It is comfortable and feels good. I like that I can style it and curl it, because it is fun to do.”

Having a hairpiece has also taught Eleni an important lesson. “The wig has taught me different principles of responsibility, because I have to take care of it by washing it, drying it, styling it, and always putting it back in its place when I’m not wearing it. I hope any family lucky enough to have a special wig is grateful for what they have. I am very grateful for the wig I was given.”

We love seeing kids like Eleni shine, like they are born to be! Every ponytail and every dollar donated, helps these kids find comfort and confidence in their day to day lives.

If you are a stylist interested in helping our children, please click here for more information.

If you are interested in donating your hair, please click here for more information.

For recipient stories, please click here.

For more ways to support Wigs For Kids, please click here.