Finding confidence and community during cancer treatment

PARKER, Colo. — For Christina Lee, the past several months have brought a whirlwind of emotions, challenges and unexpected changes.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis at a younger age, she found herself navigating chemotherapy, hair loss, unemployment and an uncertain future—all at once.

So when Lee was invited to Beautiful You—a special event hosted by AdventHealth Parker last Friday for patients currently battling cancer—she welcomed the chance to step away from treatment for a little while and simply focus on herself.

“Taking a moment to be cared for in a way that focuses on making me feel beautiful and confident is incredibly meaningful.”

The event offered patients a day of pampering and encouragement, including complimentary makeovers provided by students from the Paul Mitchell School of Denver.

Participants also had the opportunity to try on wigs, learn how to style and wear them and choose wigs to take home at no cost.

For Lee, that support carried special meaning: Just two days after receiving her breast cancer diagnosis, she lost her job along with the security of health insurance and a steady income.

“Cancer and treatment can make you feel like so much of your life is centered around doctors, medications and feeling terrible,” Lee said. “Taking a moment to be cared for in a way that focuses on making me feel beautiful and confident is incredibly meaningful.”

Her hair began falling out after starting chemotherapy, something she says was emotionally difficult.

“Losing my hair has been devastating to me,” she said. “I’m excited to try on wigs and figure out what my new normal will look like.”

Having access to wigs she could take home was more than a fun part of the event—it was a meaningful gift during a time when purchasing one herself may not have been financially possible.

Beautiful You also gave Lee an opportunity to connect with others experiencing something similar.

“As much support as I’ve received from friends and family, sometimes only someone going through the same thing can really understand,” she said.

Throughout her journey, Lee has been learning to redefine what beauty and confidence mean.

Cancer has changed her appearance, her daily routine and the way she experiences her body, but it has not changed who she is.

“Confidence isn't about looking perfect or pretending that everything is OK,” she said. “For me, it has become about showing up even when I don’t look or feel my best.”

She said she hopes other young women facing a breast cancer diagnosis will remember that they do not have to have everything figured out.

“You can be scared, angry, sad or completely overwhelmed,” Lee said. “You can also laugh and have moments of joy. There is no ‘right way’ to be a cancer patient.”

For Lee, Beautiful You offered one of those moments of joy—a chance to laugh, connect, feel cared for and remember that even in the middle of a difficult journey, she is still herself, and she can still feel beautiful.