Reel Stories Real People

Kids always enjoy dressing up like their favorite princesses or superheroes. For children with cancer they need a special-type of wig to put on their head. The nonprofit Halo Keepers is making these wishes turn into a reality. Dozens of volunteers with Halo Keepers are intertwining the spirit of love into handmade wigs for kids going through the unimaginable. Founders Heather Curtis and Courtney Hollinger told us children who spend their days in sterile rooms with IV lines in their arm deserve to be showered with kindness.

“These kids have so much negative stuff in their lives. They get treatments that are painful and they have tests that are quite long. They get so excited to get a wig. Sometimes they’re singing and they put it on and they’re dancing around,” Curtis said.

A special yarn is used to make these wigs so they don’t scratch or injure the heads of cancer patients. Each wig costs about $20 and it takes roughly six hours to make, depending on the type of wig being made.

“We do this just to bring a simple smile. Our goal is to get down to the soul of a child so they can show their true self and their true emotion. There’s nothing like the honesty of a child. It’s completely about one little moment; making it a little easier for them and just a little bit happier,” Hollinger said.

The Halo Keepers even make personal deliveries to children with a one-of-a-kind wig at her home. Each year they also turn dreams into a reality for children with life-threatening illnesses at a grand ball full of royal dresses and superhero capes. The Halo Keepers’ Princess and Superhero Ball is a celebration for kids fighting various medical battles to experience a night of normalcy and fun. These philanthropists made sure every child forgot about their aggressive treatments in sterile hospitals and reminded them about what it’s like being a child who smiles often around new friends.

“I do it for the joy of the children. It just warms my heart. They are just so happy. It just warms my heart to see them have five minutes – maybe five hours of fun,” said volunteer, Dann Deehian.

These kids can relate to one another. They may be fighting different medical battles, but they’re doing it together – as a family, and community. For the parents, they told us seeing their child smile is a sacred gift.