Evelyn’s Journey With Alopecia, Featuring Wigs For Kids Certified Service Stephanie Henson

Though six-year-old Evelyn competes in ice skating competitions and took center stage at America’s Beauty Show this spring to show off her hand-tied hairpiece from Wigs For Kids, she says she doesn’t feel like a star. But she should.

Evelyn, along with her father Chris and mother Tara, is helping raise awareness about alopecia—an autoimmune disorder that causes your hair to fall out—and has become an inspiration to others.

“We noticed Evelyn had patches of bald spots when she was a baby,” says Chris. “But when she was three years old, her hair grew and for the first time, she had a full head of curly hair. Unfortunately, a year later after she got the flu, it flared up her immune system and she started to lose her hair again. And by age five she was almost completely bald.”

Looking for resources to help her daughter, Chris found Wigs For Kids online when researching kids with hair loss.

“When Evelyn was getting ready to start kindergarten, we wanted her to get off to a good start and didn’t want her to feel bad about her hair loss,” says Chris. “My wife and I always said it was her decision if she was going to wear a wig or not, but we wanted to give her that option if she wanted to.”

After Evelyn qualified for the Wigs For Kids program, the family who lives in a southwest suburb of Chicago, found a stylist nearby so they did not have to drive into the city.

Wigs For Kids trained Certified Service Provider Stephanie Henson, who is director of Professional’s Choice Hair Design Academy in Joliet, took measurements, showed hair color options, and guided the family through the wig recipient process. “We often recommend that children choose a color that will blend with their natural hair color so it looks more natural when their hair, as well as eyebrows and eyelashes, start to grow again,” says Stephanie.

In consultation with Stephanie, Evelyn chose a beautiful, light brown color. “Evelyn is the sweetest young lady and was overjoyed by the way the wig fit and how it looked on her,” says Stephanie.

At home, Evelyn has fun curling and styling her wig, which has long, straight strands of human hair. “I am happy that she doesn’t have to miss out on being able to style her hair like other girls,” says Chris.

A typical kindergartener, Evelyn is always on the go playing t-ball, basketball, and soccer, as well as ice skating. And sometimes on the weekend takes a break to watch one of her favorite cartoons, Hansel and Gretel.

“Since Covid shut down most team activities the past couple of years, Evelyn was able to take one-on-one private skating lessons and it has now become her and sister Cora’s passion,” says Chris.

Getting ready for an ice skating competition this month, Evelyn is excited about her purple, glittery costume and being able to style her hair in a braid—and nailing that toe loop.