Cancer institute opens 'Believe Boutique' for patients

EUGENE, Ore. - A new boutique is open at the Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and Research Center that was designed specifically for cancer patients.

The institute held a grand opening event on Sunday, National Cancer Survivor Day, for "Believe Boutique." The boutique will offer wigs, scarves, and prosthetic services for cancer patients in the community.

"We've created a relaxing 'spa like' environment to help them recapture a sense of normalcy," said Josh Kermisch, executive director at the cancer institute.

Laramie Palmer is a cancer survivor and volunteers regularly at the institute. Palmer recalls the day she found out she had cancer.

"I felt a lump," Palmer said. "They said that I had a lot of lymph node involvement and that I would have to have chemo."

Palmer said she lost her hair and had to wear a wig.

"The wig was just great and I got used to it fairly soon," Palmer said.

Now a survivor of 28 years, Palmer is eager to help patients in the area find a wig or scarf at the new boutique.

"Everyday is a milestone, everyday is a day I didn't expect to have, and everyday is a blessing," Palmer said. "You don't give up hope, believe that you can do this."

The boutique is made possible through a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the Willamette Valley Cancer Institute. The new boutique is open to cancer patients Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Willamette Valley Cancer Institute.