Rubin Sugarman Foundation Inc

Hi I'm Danielle!

In 2022, I was diagnosed with a highly aggressive breast cancer and had to undergo 6 rounds of TCHP chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and 25 rounds of radiation. Cancer took a lot from me, but I managed to preserve my identity with cold cap therapy.

Cold capping allowed me to keep my hair during chemotherapy. With a full head of hair, I was able to look and feel more like myself. It made all the difference in my outlook and how much I could handle during treatment. However, cold cap therapy is not currently covered by insurance, making it an out-of-pocket expense that many cancer patients cannot afford.

I want to help ease the burden and pain (physical and emotional) on other young adults diagnosed with cancer. With your support, we can make cold cap therapy more accessible and help patients preserve their hair and identity during treatment.

That's why I've teamed up with the Rubin Sugarman Foundation and the Abramson Cancer Center @ the University of Pennsylvania to create a first-of-its-kind patient fund to help subsidize the out-of-pocket expense of cold cap therapy for young adults with cancer.

Our goal is to give patients a little more dignity and choice in an already impossible situation. The way that you look during treatment impacts the way that you feel, and I believe that the way you feel correlates to how much you can cope with and leads to more positive outcomes.

The technology behind cold cap therapy is quite simple, but it can make a huge difference. Patients wear a (freezing) cold cap just before, during, and after chemotherapy infusions. Cooling the scalp prevents hair loss by reducing blood flow to the hair follicle and slowing the rate of cellular growth, thereby reducing the effect of any chemo that is present. It's cold and a little painful, but it's very effective.

Please consider donating to our campaign and sharing it with your friends and family. Every little bit counts and your support can make a huge difference in the lives of cancer patients.