Want to Change The Face of Cancer? Here’s Your Chance
All of us feel better when we look our best, right? A nonprofit that grew from a woman’s support of her sister has put that belief into action in a meaningful way, and is now reaching out so others can do the same.
The Face in the Mirror Foundation based in Phoenix, Ariz., is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded by Barbara MacLean in memory of her sister Charlotte Mae McCracken who lost her battle to breast cancer in 2001. The group reaches out to women with all types of cancer – in hospitals, clinics, care facilities, and homes.
Services include:
• The application of cosmetics to give the woman a boost.
• Giftbags with chemically free cosmetics and skin care products.
• A hand massage with a kind word to add relaxation a stressful day.
• A comfortable wig or scarf to add that little personal touch of
beauty or confidence.
• A book of poetry entitled “The Psalm of Life”, which was written by
Barbara MacLean, filled with words to inspire and uplift the spirit.
• A CD, entitled “Face in the Mirror”, delivering a message of hope and love to ALL women dealing with their own face in the mirror.
• A beautiful personal mirror, given with the hope that one day the recipient will be able to look at herself and say, “the face in the mirror is still me...She’s still me!”
The services stem from a personal and supportive philosophy of improving the outer well-being of cancer patients. The group’s website states: "How you look directly affects how you feel. We know there is a direct correlation between a person's emotional and physical health. Illness can consume ones energy; appearance can easily fall by the wayside. Helping a patient look better can give them the extra boost they need to actually be better."
Face in the Mirror’s initial outreach included providing free cosmetics, facials, makeovers and wigs (with support from the American Cancer Society) to women in the metropolitan Phoenix area. They're currently expanding to other US cities, starting with Chicago, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City - and have also been registered and trademarked in the United States, England, Canada and Northern Ireland. The nonprofit is seeking donors, volunteers and those interested in starting new Face In the Mirror support programs.
For more information, go to: http://www.faceinthemirror.org/
or call (866) 410-FACE. You can also find Face In The Mirror on Facebook.
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Hello, Thank you for the beautifully written article about the foundation I live to grow. I have had the opportunity to meet with your founder Michelle K. Robson some time back and she was very verbally supportive of Face in the Mirror. We have been supportive of your amazing website Empowher.com by adding a large awareness add to our www.faceinthemirror.org resource page.
Face in the Mirror takes the pampering service and Mission to women with cancer of all types and to women of all ages. We have had the opportunity to visit thousands of women in St. Joseph Medical Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, Banner Good Samaritan Hospital, Banner Desert Medical Center, Maricopa Integrated Health Systems (Maricopa County Hospital) and we look forward to taking the Mission in 2010 to the women in the oncology departments at John C. Lincoln. Face in the Mirror has grown Maryland and have our outreach at Union Hospital in Elkton, Md. We will soon open at Pottsville Cancer Center in Pottsville, Pa. Many hospitals have communicated with us and we are currently working on several others which will open in the coming months/years. All About Us Kids is the children's division where we take love and pampering to the small child. We also are there to support the caregiver of the child by giving a facial makeover and hand massage to ease the stress of sitting at the bedside of the child for days without much relief. This service is taken to Phoenix Children's Hospital, St. Joseph Children's Hospital, and to the burn and critically ill children departments of Maricopa Integrated Health Systems. FIM For Men opened at Banner Desert Samaritan Hospital and will be taken to the Valley Hospitals in the months to come. Volunteers are needed in many various departments, funding continues to be an ongoing immediate need. Any help so many ways awaits the person who would like to help us Change the Face of Cancer...One Patient at a Time! Thank you...Expecting miracles, Barbara MacLean Founder-CEO Face in the Mirror 480-443-1344
Hi Barbara - Thank you for your comments, and the service FIT has provided to so many people over the years. It makes a tremendous difference to obtain support while dealing with a personal or family member's illness, and the special touches your group brings are really important.
You mentioned that there is now a FIT for men program. I wondered if you had any advice to share with our members on ways they could help support their husbands or male partners based on what you've learned along the way? How do you suggest helping a guy spruce up his appearance without making him feel more vulnerable? We'd really like to know.
Take care, Pat
Hello Pat...FIM For Men is a pampering program that Face in the Mirror will be taking and has taken to men with cancer. We as with the women, go into the hospital room, in infusion, etc. With our smiles and a volunteer who cares (key) we might wash the man's face with a natural botanical cleaner -sometimes we will shave his face- after we put a no fragrance moisturizer on his skin, neck, and sometimes head as well, if his hair has been taken from chemotherapy. The moisture is drained from everyone's skin dealing with cancer and all the follow up medications. So a good moisturizer is important. We also will pamper him by giving him a hand massage. This is relaxing and their shoulders seem to drop and there is a peace that this will bring to the face, it is apparent, it works. A few of the volunteers finish the overall pampering by giving the man a foot massage. The massage is more of a pampering nature and not hard or intense manipulation. Mostly the application of a foot cream and a gentle massage. Many times the wife, or caregiver is happy to find out that they now too can give this same type of love and pampering to the man. Oft times they don't know just what to do, and when this door is open, the job is next done with a happy patient, by the one who loves him and is sitting by his side through the hours of wait.
Some of the patients request to have their faces shaved. Not all of our volunteers are trained in the field of cosmotology and so they are not permitted to do this procedure, but when they are, this has a very effective result. One patient, with Aids, received a shave, moisturizer and massage to the skin, makeup to cover all the spots the disease had caused, and a gentle hand massage. His words, "do you know how long it has been since someone touched me?" left us knowing the need is out there in so many rooms and so many men also need that special attention. The end results of the story of the man with Aids, his students arrived that afternoon to visit him, and he felt so proud to not look unshaven, spottie, and unlike what they remember. They came in and saw him as their professor, the man who they remembered! If you have questions you might want to call and speak to someone in the office we are happy to help. Barbara MacLean Founder-CEO Face in the Mirror -FIM For Men- All About Us Kids
Hi Barbara - Thanks for this information. You're right, many people just don't know what to do when it comes to pampering someone with cancer, both men and women. I enjoyed your story about the college professor. The person with a serious medical condition is still the same person they always were, and the more that can be done to help the person recover their life, the better.
Take care,
Pat
Pat I would love it if you could get out to the gals out there that Face in the Mirror is always looking for good volunteers who love to give love and pampering to the woman with cancer...also work in the office, and many different jobs await for the gal who will give her heart and time away. Thank you so much.
Together, we can, Change the face of cancer, one patient at a time1