Learning Zone
Inspirational cancer fighter changes hundreds of lives - after being handed an NHS wig
The world is pretty crazy right now and the current Covid-19 pandemic has not only brought out the best in some people, but also the worst.
But flicking through a newspaper this week, I read a truly inspirational story that is proof there really are so many good folk out there still.
Kaz Foncette, 34, has fought breast cancer twice and used her gruelling, tough and frightening experience to improve the lives of so many other women who have found themselves in her position.
And it all started when she was handed an NHS wig.
Speaking to The Mirror, Kaz explained that she was so terrified of losing her hair through chemotherapy that she confided in a nurse for help.
But she admitted: “A nurse rummaged through a box and pulled out a wig that she said I could get on prescription on the NHS.
“I was horrified. It looked like a cheap Halloween wig and was totally unsuitable for someone my age.
“I soon discovered that NHS wigs are designed for older women, not for women like me.”
Kaz, who says she had long brown hair at the time, was lucky enough to be gifted £400 by rallying friends and family, meaning she could buy a stunning pink wig made from real-hair.
But she knew other ladies weren’t so fortunate.
Despite being wiped out by her treatment, Kaz began fundraising from her bed before eventually launching her own charity, Wigs For Heroes. So far, she has raised a seriously impressive £20,000 to help other ladies buy wigs that make them feel like ‘them’.
Kaz has also amassed an impressive social media following over on the ‘gram, where she shares so many inspirational pictures and words of advice to others.
Unfortunately, just six months after Kaz had was given the all-clear by doctors, her cancer returned in exactly the same place.
This time, she had a mastectomy but suffered heart failure from all the drugs she had to take.
The fantastic news is, however, that Kaz has been cancer-free for a year.
She has also landed a modelling deal with underwear brand Figleaves, which is definitely something to celebrate, too.
And if that’s not enough, Kaz is doing all she can to raise awareness of breast cancer this October, which happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Give her a follow here. What a real life hero!