Windsor woman runs unique one-stop shop for cancer patients

After watching her sister go through a series of cancer treatments and lose her hair, a Windsor woman started a business in her home that helps cancer patients find the perfect wig, mastectomy bra, swimwear and more. 

"She had a very impersonal experience, they just wanted to throw anything on her head and basically just make a sale," explains Jackie Pizzuti of those who fitted her sister with a wig during her cancer treatment. "It broke my heart, it infuriated me, and I thought, at that time, 'no woman should have to experience what my sister did.'" 

Several years later, the former hairdresser, started the Wigs to Wellness and the Mastectomy Boutique. 

"I thought, 'wouldn't it be great just to get a place where they could come and get everything they needed at one time?'" said Pizzuti. 

The shop offers both synthetic and real hair wigs of different lengths, colours and styles. With her background, Pizzuti can also customize a wig to a customer's needs. 

"Our hair represents a lot of who we are on the outside, of course, and just being faced with the fact that they are going to lose it, is devastating for women," she said. 

'Women need to feel beautiful' 

Pizzuti wanted to create a comfortable and intimate experience for women seeking out her products, that's why after moving into a storefront after her first year, she decided to come back and run the boutique from her home on Maisonneuve Avenue. 

"Women need to feel beautiful and during this time in their life, they're going through so many different emotions and all the medical things that they're experiencing … I just think it helps their self- esteem and their confidence," she said.  

She meets a lot of the women who are going to cancer treatment through a program she volunteers with at the Windsor Essex Cancer Centre Foundation called "Look Good Feel Better."

A non-medical workshop that teaches woman about the different stages they will go through once they start treatment and offers them solutions. 

Many women are also recommend to her through the Cancer Centre. 

"I often see them walk through the door and they are very nervous, very sad, I've seen many tears," said Pizzuti. "As the visit is progressing I'm beginning to see smiles and laughter."

'Cancer erases your face'

One of those hesitant, nervous women is Peggy Polewski, who was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer in February. 

"I had a couple of moments where it was pretty devastating, it was a little bit painful, the actual physical hair loss, but it was only brief," said Polewski. 

Polewski did not want to look like she was unwell on the outside, even though she started to lose her hair. 

"When my girlfriend said it was in somebody's home my first thought was hesitation, like it wouldn't be professional," explains Polewski. "It was more than comfortable and professional ... this atmosphere is exactly what you need."

Polewski owns several wigs now, of several lengths and colour. She said feeling comfortable and confident it's all in a person's mind set. 

"I remember reading Joan Lunden saying that cancer erases your face, and truly that's what happens," said Polewski. "You feel like your face is gone, your hair is gone, but when you find a place in your mind with the wigs and get accustomed to it and feel positive, it's a big change."

Pizzuti said most extended health insurance companies will cover the cost of the products she provides, and if a woman wants to buy breast prostheses the Assistance Device Program of Ontario will cover half the cost. 

She has also teamed up with the Windsor Essex Cancer Centre Foundation to provide a wig free of charge for women who cannot afford to buy one. 

What the boutique offers

• Personalized wigs
• Post mastectomy kits: consisting of a cotton leisure bra, temporary puff insert and a drainage-tube pouch 
• Breast prostheses 
• Mastectomy bras 
• Swimwear
• Head coverings: hats, turbans, scarves
• Lymphedema sleeves
• PICC line covers