Missys' Boutique Benefits Lymphoma Patient

Maja Freeman overcame cancer once, and is fighting it for a second time. But this time she has a spirited and stylish supporter to help her deal with some of the physical realities of her disease  ̶  Missys’ Boutique at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

Missys’ Boutique is an accredited cancer appearance center that helps people overcome the physical and emotional challenges of cancer treatment. Missys’ assists patients and survivors throughout the region by helping restore their dignity, build their self-confidence and reclaim their self-image.

Maja, 36, has gone through several rounds of chemotherapy as she receives treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma at The University of Kansas Cancer Center. She has suffered hair loss as a result. While Maja says her hair loss didn’t concern her, it did upset her young daughter.

“As my treatments wore on, my daughter hated how people looked at me when we were out in public. She didn’t want people staring at me,” says Maja, who lives with her family in Olathe.

Creating a mother-daughter moment

Although Maja says she hadn’t considered wearing a wig, she made the decision to do so because it was important to her 5-year-old daughter. When she scheduled her wig fitting at Missys’ Boutique, she explained that it was her daughter’s idea to visit the appearance center and that the little one would accompany her.

“The Missys’ staff went above and beyond to make it an experience for my daughter, too,” Maja says. “I was just the model. They created a special spot for her as I tried on wigs, and they humored her with all of the hair colors as they worked to find something we both liked. I was so impressed with how they interacted with my daughter. It was a terrific opportunity they made enjoyable for the 2 of us.”

Staying strong with style

In addition to wigs, Missys’ offers breast forms, postsurgery bras and camisoles, along with turbans, caps, hats, scarves, cancer awareness jewelry, skin care products and accessories. Certified fitters assist with the breast forms and bras, and a licensed cosmetologist helps with wig selection and fitting.

Maja, who is recovering following a stem cell transplant in June, says she continues to be inspired by the kindness and compassion from her cancer center care team, including the staff at Missys’ Boutique.

“We could not have imagined the level of kindness and selflessness that people showed us,” Maja marvels. “It’s really helped us stay strong.”