Embracing a new look: Wig program thriving at Mitchell's Avera Cancer Institute

Apr. 26—MITCHELL — Lana Sinkie and Angie Reichenberg chatted happily away as they both looked into a salon mirror recently at the Avera Cancer Institute in Mitchell.

Reichenberg was in a chair with Sinkie standing behind her as they discussed the finer points of Reichenberg's hairstyle. The length and color seemed right, but perhaps there was another direction she'd like to go with her look. A different color, perhaps.

With that, Reichenberg removed her wig and Sinkie placed another with pink highlights atop her head. Sinkie made a few adjustments, and stood back a step to see Reichenberg's reaction. They both smiled and laughed at how good the colorful wig looked on her, with Sinkie noting that the hue highlighted her eyes.

Darcey Long, clinical manager for the Avera Cancer Institute Mitchell, stood in the doorway and agreed that it was a good look.

"Seeing the emotion on people who sit in that chair — when they are done they feel just a little more like themselves," Long said.

The scene was taking place in the new wig salon at the Avera Cancer Institute in Mitchell earlier this week. The health care system recently renovated an underutilized space on the local Avera hospital campus to serve as the home for the New Look, Same You program that provides wigs to cancer patients who have lost their hair while undergoing treatment.

Now the room is complete with the trappings one would expect at such a salon. A comfortable chair rests in front of a large mirror with good lighting pouring in from all around. Along the walls, wigs of various colors, styles and length line several shelves, offering visitors a chance to browse different types they may be interested in.

The space began serving patients who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatments just back in March, and it has already seen a stream of patients sit in the chair. The program has a long history with Avera, but the new salon is its first outpost in Mitchell.

"The New Look, Same You program has been around for awhile, it actually started with a wig salon in Sioux Falls at the Prairie Center. That program has been going strong with all of our patients across the system having been able to access it," said Molly Sutton, regional director of philanthropy for the Avera Queen of Peace Hospital. "But we know receiving care close to home is the best for patients, so having a salon at our local cancer center really helps."

After finding a space that would suit the program's needs in Mitchell, the room was transformed into the new salon. It is now a salon officially licensed by the state, with Sinkie, a longtime hair stylist and cancer survivor herself, serving as a guide for patients who come through the door looking for a chance to regain a little of their past image.

Reichenberg is one of those patients. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and had a recurrence last December. Like countless other patients, chemotherapy caused her to lose her hair, and like countless other patients, it was difficult for her.

"Cancer changes everything. You get diagnosed with cancer and your life completely, 100% changes. (The program) gives you a little bit of normalcy back. It gives you a little bit of confidence," Reichenberg said. "You lose your hair, you lose your eyelashes, your eyebrows and you don't feel good about yourself."

During her treatments, she was approached by the Avera team and asked if she would be interested in being fit for a wig, and Reichenberg agreed. She had owned a wig previously but didn't wear it much, as it didn't really match her natural hair style.

But she loves the wig she has now. Sitting in the salon, Reichenberg sported a blonde wig that looked so natural she could be mistaken for an Avera staffer rather than a patient. She credits the program and Sinkie's deft hand at styling for the sharp look.

"They set me up with an appointment and Lana met me here and styled it up," Reichenberg said.

Sinkie smiles at the memory.

"We had fun with it," Sinkie said.

Sinkie has been receiving treatment for cancer in Mitchell for two years. She is now in remission, and in an effort to give back to the program and to the patients whose challenges she understood all too well, she took on the role of wig stylist for the Mitchell program after reading about it online. She herself had visited the Avera wig salon in Sioux Falls during her treatments and worked with fellow stylist Diana Swier to bring the Mitchell location to life.

Now she stops in the Mitchell salon whenever a patient needs a new wig, an adjustment, a change of length or even a splash of color. She knows the difference a quality wig and an empathetic ear can make to someone going through the rigors of cancer treatment.

"I love doing hair, and I love making people feel better about themselves. I'm paying it forward. These guys have helped me a lot, because I've gone through cancer myself," Sinkie said. "If I can help somebody else, I feel better."

The wigs are purchased by the Avera Foundation, and patients are given one to their liking as part of their treatments. They then have the option to purchase others on their own, giving them a variety of style choices for any occasion.

Though the program has been up and running in Mitchell for about a month, it has already seen seven patients book appointments for wigs. Most of those are women, but the salon can serve men as well, and Avera officials expect their first male customer to come in for a session soon.

"We have females and we have males. We have our first male fitting coming in next week, so it's not just for girls," Long said. "He really was wanting a wig, and he's had cancer for a very, very long time. So when we mentioned that we have this right here in-house, he took the plunge and was excited to try some on."

Reichenberg said donning a wig can be a little intimidating at first, but the payoff comes in feeling comfortable with herself, both with her own image and around other people. Her wig matches her so well that she doesn't catch people in public looking at her like they did when she didn't wear one.

That makes a big difference with her mental wellbeing, she said.

"At first it's difficult, because it's not your real hair. It will never be your real hair, but it gives you a little confidence, it gives you a little boost," Reichenberg said. "I do feel good. I do feel pretty. Or I do fit back in and I'm not out of the norm at the store because people look at you because you have your little cap on and they know you're sick."

Sinkie herself wears a wig and knows it can be a big step for some patients. That's where her personality as a stylist comes out, encouraging patients to try different looks and different lengths and giving positive yet honest advice on the look. She reminds patients that their appointment is a chance to experiment with different looks.

"There are some people who come in and a couple of them are kind of hesitant, and I say it's a bump in the road. Have fun with it," Sinkie said. "And we've had fun with a couple of them. They've ordered completely different colors, styles, everything. They look forward to getting their new wig and trying it on and wearing it out of here like a princess."

The Mitchell program has been successful enough for Avera to consider similar salons in other regions served by the health care system. There are currently three salons in the program, with Mitchell recently joining the other salons in Sioux Falls and Yankton.

Creating more outlets for the program around the state will allow for easier access to its services for patients in more rural areas. That convenience only makes the program more appealing and it is hoped it will draw in more patients interested in taking part.

"We're able to set up the appointments right here at the front desk when they come in. It's simple and it's streamlined," Sutton said. "We want to make everything as easy as possible for our patients. That's our goal in all of this. There shouldn't be any extra hassle for anybody."

The New Look, Same You program is one of several funded by the Avera Foundation, and Sutton said contributions to the foundation make them possible. One of the bigger foundation fundraisers,

the annual Avera Race Against Cancer,

is set to return May 11. Now in its 36th year overall and entering its third year in Mitchell, it features runs and walks of various distances and is promoted as a family-friendly event hosted by Avera Cancer Institute Mitchell and Anytime Fitness Mitchell, and supports patients receiving services and care at the Avera Cancer Institute in Mitchell.

It's a great way to give to programs at Avera that help patients in their treatment and recovery, Sutton said.

Reichenberg and Sinkie both smile as Sinkie helps her adjust the pink wig on her head. Reichenberg said she had tried the wig previously on a whim, but it didn't seem quite right. But as Sinkie makes an adjustment or two, they both laugh and remark how good it looks on her. Maybe it would be nice to have for special, fun occasions.

When she lost her hair to chemotherapy, Reichenberg said it was hard to imagine the process of trying on wigs to be as enjoyable as it is. But it's all starting to grow on her, and she thinks other Mitchell patients will benefit from having the specialized wig salon right in their backyard.

She knows what it's done for her and Sinkie.

"It was a wonderful experience. It was enlightening and humbling at the same time. You come in and have Lana, who actually is going through it and opens up about her own situation and her cancer and wigs and she lightens up the situation," Reichenberg said. "We'll never be able to pay back what these people have done for us during cancer treatments. I feel like I'll never be able to pay anybody back for what they've done for me."

More information on the New Look, Same You program can be found by calling 605-995-5756.