Tri-City Medical Center’s program provides free custom wigs to women undergoing chemotherapy

Oceanside CA— Tri-City Hospital Foundation today has called on community support to continue funding a program providing wigs – and hope – to patients battling cancer at Tri-City Medical Center. The Wigs For Hope program provides free custom-fitted wigs to women undergoing chemotherapy, but the program’s funding has unfortunately ended due to circumstances out of the Foundation or Medical Center’s control. To keep this life-changing program going, Tri-City Hospital Foundation launched a Facebook Fundraiser to crowdfund donations with a very attainable goal of $8,500. Every dollar raised will go directly to continuing the Wigs For Hope program.
Wigs For Hope changes lives for women like Maria Ochoa, who credits the program for helping restore her confidence and support her stepping back into who she knew herself to be before treatment.
“I didn’t want to hear it will grow back. My hair was a part of my identity and the idea of losing ALL of it was incomparable,” said Maria Ochoa. “My nurse and the Cancer Care Navigator who runs the wig program at Tri-City Women’s Center, Renee Ebejer, understood what I needed as a person, not just a patient. Renee gave a voice to my loss. She genuinely felt my pain and then found the treatment to alleviate that pain, which was as simple as providing a wig.”
Renee Ebejer, the Wigs For Hope program manager, Licensed Vocational Nurse and Cancer Care Navigator, has been heading the program since 2018. Ebejer works with each patient to define their specific needs, find the perfect wig, guide them to women’s cancer support meetings, and anything else the patient requires.
“I took the program under my wings two years ago to support the women’s self-confidence as they journey through their treatment plans,” said Ebejer. “It’s always such a pleasure seeing their level of happiness when we find the right look and fit.”
If you’d like to contribute to Wigs For Hope, visit facebook.com/donate/746722216168269/. If you prefer not to donate via Facebook but would like to contribute, you can email Deborah Trusty, [email protected], or visit the Donate Now page on tricityhospitalfoundation.org and choose “Wigs For Hope” as the donation designation.

About Tri-City Hospital Foundation

Tri-City Hospital Foundation is celebrating more than 50 years as a link between the community and the hospital. Since its inception, a generous community of donors has provided millions of dollars in grants to Tri-City Medical Center. Many of the hospital’s most mission-critical facilities and most sophisticated equipment have been supported in whole or part by Foundation initiatives and community donors. Recently, the Foundation funded the GE Revolution CT Scanner, which is the highest resolution scanner today, making Tri-City Medical Center the first hospital in the state to have this state-of-the-art system in use. For more information and to learn how you can make a difference, visit www.tricityhospitalfoundation.org.

About Tri-City Medical Center

Tri-City Medical Center has served its community for over 50 years and is a full service, acute-care hospital in Oceanside, CA with over 500 physicians practicing in 60 specialties. Tri-City Medical Center is licensed for 388 licensed beds and maintains 150 to 200 daily. Its Gold Seal of Approval® from the Joint Commission recognizes its commitment to safe and effective patient care for the residents of the community it serves. It operates the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in North County as well as the Orthopedic & Spine Institute, a Cardiovascular Health Institute and the Tri-City Wellness & Fitness Center in Carlsbad, CA. It also specializes in robotic surgery, cancer, women’s health, and emergency care. For more information about Tri-City Medical Center and Tri-City Healthcare District, please visit www.tricitymed.org.