A 64-YEAR-OLD Stroud woman is offering others facing chemo the chance to keep their own hair.

When Joy Roodenburg was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2023, she was worried about losing her hair.

Wigs didn’t look or feel right and cold capping was too intense.

Joy wasn’t worried about losing her hair for vanity reasons, she was worried about losing her identity, about losing the choice to choose who she shared her diagnosis with, and how the grandchildren would react seeing her bald.

Two of Joys' adult children, Morwenna Rose Louttit-Vermaat of Hands on Harps, Stroud, and Robin Roodenburg, offered to cut off her hair before it all fell out, and to find a way to attach it to an under hat so she could keep looking like herself.

After a lot of research, they came up with a method that worked, and Joy left her daughters house looking no different just five hours after entering.

She said: “The best part is I didn’t need to shave my head, I had a really nice short cut for the few weeks before it fell out, but when I was out and about, I wore my hair hat and no one even guessed I was going through chemo."

Half way through her treatment the oncologist asked Joy how she had kept her hair, he was very puzzled.

When Joy took her hat off to reveal her bald head, he was amazed.

He urged her to share this with more cancer patients.

Joy became quite well known amongst the oncology department, with nurses, surgeons and consultants all encouraging her to make this into a business or charity.

Now nearing the end of her treatment Joy has set up Hats of Joy and is working with Longfield to offer her first free workshop.

There are spaces for five brave people to see if they can lead the way in making this more widely available.

The workshop is running on Tuesday, July 30 at Longfield Minchinhampton.

There will be a professional hairdresser present and participants can each bring one person for emotional support.

If the workshop is successful, Joy hopes to expand and offer these workshops across the county and eventually nationwide.

If you would like to participate in this pilot workshop or want more information email jroodenburg5@hotmail.com