Leo Gillick
Cancer patients can lose a lot during their treatment, and although this plastic surgeon might not have anything to donate for a double mastectomy, he can certainly help with hair loss.
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Dr. Buchanan, a plastic surgeon from Savannah, is no stranger to people struggling with their appearance after cancer. As he told WJCL, he has had many female clients for breast surgery who just wanted to feel normal again. Often, they would come in having had a mastectomy and be balding from the therapies.
- For Breast Cancer Awareness Week, plastic surgeon Dr. Buchanan wanted to donate his hair to people more in need of it than himself. For 17 months, he grew his hair out with the intention of providing a wig or two to people who had lost their own to chemo.
- “Seeing patients come in with chemo and knowing their hair is going to be lost — I don’t have the best-looking hair, but I was able to grow it.”
Getting The Snip
Despite his wife’s complaints, Dr. Buchanan grew out his hair for a year and a half. She may not have loved the look, but it was all for a good cause. In the year and a half of growing, he managed a rather impressive 10 inches.
- When it was finally time to take a seat and go ahead with the haircut, he did it with a smile on his face. Knowing he was giving up his hair in order to help people feel more like themselves was worth it for the plastic surgeon.
Locks of Love: The plastic surgeon used a group known as Locks of Love to donate his hair. They will process it and turn it into a wig for someone who has undergone chemo and lost their own.
- Donating hair has never been easier. It’s simply a case of cutting it off, packaging it up, and sending it off. Although it might not seem like the most important thing in the world, for someone going through cancer treatment, the prospect of feeling a little more like themselves can sometimes be a lifesaver.
