“When you’re going through chemo, you’re not feeling your best and you’re not looking your best. It takes a toll on your appearance,” said Kelli White, community manager for the American Cancer Society.
“It makes women feel better about their journey if they feel better about the way they look,” White said.
The people at Frieda’s Closet want women to feel nice and confident while they are going through one of the most difficult battles of their life.
Freida’s Closet gives free wigs or head coverings to cancer patients who have lost their hair to chemotherapy. Frieda’s Closet is run by a partnership between the ACS and Breast Friends, a breast cancer support group in El Dorado.
Frieda Calhoun came up with the idea of opening Frieda’s Closet after being diagnosed with cancer according to her daughter, Janet Calhoun Rice.
Initially, Frieda was diagnosed with cancer in 1997 and was in remission for almost 14 months after undergoing treatment.
After being cancer free, Frieda was re-diagnosed, but now the cancer had spread to her lungs and brain.
“It was not a good prognosis at that point,” Janet said.
Janet remembers her mother as a fun-loving and funny woman who collected wigs, scarves, and hats during her treatments.
“She liked to look nice,” Janet said. “She was a fun person. I remember taking her to a wig shop in Little Rock, and we bought a couple of wigs but they’re terribly expensive if you buy a good human-hair wig. We talked about how a lot of women could not afford that, especially when they are trying to pay for cancer treatments.”
Frieda passed away in August of 2000, and, upon her death, the Calhoun family donated all of Frieda’s wigs, scarves, and hats to create Frieda’s Closet in her memory.
Frieda left a legacy of wanting to help women with cancer. She also founded Breast Friends in 1999 with friend Lisa Choate.
After asking Lisa to lunch one day, Frieda walked up to her and handed her a coffee mug and a pink ribbon. Frieda told Lisa that she was starting Breast Friends and would like for her to join. Lisa is still a member of Breast Friends which meets the third Monday of each month at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.
In 2008, Frieda’s Closet entered into a time of neglect, but the ACS and Breast Friends have worked hard to revitalize and improve Frieda’s for the past few months.
“We hope to make a nice place in Frieda’s memory,” Pat Rackow, team leader of Frieda’s Closet, said. “Everything is still the same. Wigs are expensive. People can’t afford everything, but you want to look nice.”
Most of the wigs at Frieda’s Closet are brand new and still have tags on them. The wigs that are used are washed and cleaned.
For women unsure of how to style or care for a wig, Almost Blonde, the cosmetology school, and Charlie’s Corner will style a wig for no charge.
Frieda’s Closet has drop-off boxes for scarves, hats, and wigs located at Sassy’s, Possibilities, Charlie’s Corner, and KLBQ on Hillsboro for anyone interested in donating. They also accept monetary donations to purchase supplies.
In addition to wigs, Frieda’s Closet also hosts the ACS’s "Look Good, Feel Better" campaign twice a year.
“A local cosmetologist comes in and helps women fit wigs and learn how to tie scarves,” Kelli said. “They get a bag full of makeup donated to them from the ‘Look Good, Feel Better’ program. She helps them learn how to apply makeup to handle certain things that chemo does to your skin.”
Women also receive a makeup bag with about $200 worth of products.
“The biggest problem that we have with this outreach program is that nobody knows about it,” Pat said.
The group wants to raise awareness about Frieda’s Closet and hopes more women will take advantage of their services.
Pat said most women have never even heard about Frieda’s Closet including the ones undergoing
treatment at the Artesian Cancer Center.
“We want to thank the Artesian because they are supporting us 100 percent,” Pat said. “Without them, we couldn’t be here.”
Frieda’s Closet is open from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month. It is located in the Artesian Cancer Center at South Arkansas on 503 Thompson Avenue in El Dorado.
A luncheon sponsored by Breast Friends, ACS, and South Arkansas Medical Center will be held on Oct. 12 at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. There will be a lunch, fashion show, speakers, and education on resources available including Frieda’s Closet from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
For more information about Frieda’s Closet, contact Pat Rackow at 870-310-6920.