McDonough hairstylist survives breast cancer, empowers other survivors by making wigs
By Alexa Liacko
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ATLANTA (WUPA) — The CDC says about 10% of all new breast cancer cases in the U.S. are in women younger than 45.
As the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month nears, Tameshia Effinger is starting a project she wants to last far beyond October.
Earlier this year, the 39-year-old hairstylist was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Three weeks after celebrating her birthday in Paris, she found a lump in her breast.
“Initially, I was terrified. I work on my feet. I work with my hands. I need energy. And so I didn’t know what it was going to look like going forward,” she said.
A breast cancer diagnosis meant rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, and tons of pain.
Still, every Friday, she wore pink in observance of breast cancer awareness. Through doing so, she found sisterhood with other survivors and eventually found purpose.
By making her own wig to deal with chemotherapy hair loss, she came up with the idea to provide free or discounted glueless wigs to women who’ve lost their hair.
One of those clients is Erica Silimon, who turned to Effinger for help after being treated for lupus and losing her hair.
“In that moment just to get your hair done and feel pretty again…and I told her you will always be blessed because you’re a blessing to others,” Silimon said.
“I see myself as just the little girl who always knew how to braid hair. Now I’m realizing how big of an impact I’ve made for so many women — and I didn’t even know it at first,” she said.
Now, Effinger encourages other women through social media posts to get mammograms sooner and to see their own beauty no matter what they see in the mirror.
And on Friday afternoon, she rang the bell at Piedmont Cancer Institute in Henry County, signaling the end of her cancer treatment and the start of what she hopes is a new chapter in her health.
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