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Case study: Corrina’s story

Meet Corrina from Kirkham, who is living with acute myeloid leukaemia. After a heartbreaking experience in which she was defrauded of more than £1,000 by a wigmaker who vanished with her money, her story was featured in the local press. When The Orange Foundation heard what had happened, the team reached out to Corrina directly, offering her a fully funded wig to help restore some comfort and confidence during such a difficult time.

How are things going with your care at the moment?

I’m currently waiting on the results of a recent bone marrow test. If the cancer has returned there, I may need a bone marrow transplant. If not, I’ll need a full hysterectomy. Either way, further treatment is ahead.

Previous treatment reduced the cancer in my bone marrow to a very small amount, but there’s still uncertainty. Doctors aren’t sure why this has happened; it could be related to the radiotherapy I had for breast cancer five years ago, which in rare cases, can increase the risk of developing leukaemia later on.

The hardest part is the not knowing. The uncertainty is always on my mind, and some nights I struggle to sleep, thinking about all the possibilities. I’ve also got a disabled daughter and I worry for my family.

Following your treatment, when did you first notice the hair loss? 

It was a couple of weeks after I started chemo that I began to notice little bits of hair coming out when I brushed it. I’d been in hospital for about two weeks after treatment began, and that’s when it really started happening. When I finally got a night back at home, my sister, who’s a hairdresser, cut it into a bob for me. It might sound strange, but I just wanted to feel in control of it. I didn’t want to sit around waiting for it to fall out in clumps; I wanted to take charge of it myself.

How did that affect you?

When I went back into hospital and carried on with my treatments, more and more hair started coming out. Eventually there were big bald patches all over my head, so I asked my sister to come back and just shave it off. I didn’t want to wait for every last strand to fall out. It felt better to take control of it, rather than let it control me.

My family found it really hard. They were all upset, and even my sister was crying as she shaved my head. I just felt like I had to be the strong one, somehow; like I needed to hold it together for everyone else.

I also made sure my daughter, who has severe disabilities, was in the room while it was happening. I didn’t want her to be confused or frightened later, asking where my hair had gone. I wanted her to see it, to understand. And she was amazing. She didn’t ask questions, she just looked at me and said I was beautiful.

How did you find out about The Orange Foundation?

I found the wig maker through a friend’s recommendation. I didn’t know him personally, but I looked him up online and went for a consultation while I was still having treatment. He seemed really reassuring, saying he could do everything I wanted. 

When it came to payment, I wasn’t sure what was normal. I’d never been in that position before, so I paid upfront. Not long after, while I was in hospital having a blood transfusion, I realised I hadn’t heard from him. When I looked online, I found posts from other women saying he’d taken their money and disappeared. 

I tried calling him but he ignored me, and when we finally got a private number for him, he reacted angrily, telling us not to contact him again. After I shared my experience on Facebook, lots of women reached out to say the same thing had happened to them. One even told me her best friend died before ever getting her money back. 

The situation actually went to the media at Lancs Live, which is where The Orange Foundation got in touch directly with me to offer help with a funded wig. It was a horrible experience. I felt so vulnerable, and it made it hard to trust anyone again at a time when I really just needed kindness and support.

How has having a wig helped in your daily life?

I’ve got my wig now, and I’m really happy with it. Everything about the experience has been brilliant. It’s actually sat upstairs in my bedroom at the moment. When I went to the shop, they were so lovely with me, I honestly couldn’t fault them. It just needed a little bit of shaping around the face to suit me, but the length and style are almost exactly how my own hair used to be. 

Having this wig, even just this little thing, has given me a bit of myself back. It has helped me feel like I can go out and face the world again. Thank you to The Orange Foundation for their support.