Before cancer, Rocio Blancket Estrada’s hair had been long. Like many younger adults, cancer was not something she thought would impact her any time soon. But in 2025, at age 37, her life changed overnight. Diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, Estrada began chemotherapy. She remembers waking up to strands on her pillow.
Watching the change was harder than she expected, even after preparing herself mentally. “Finally, I asked my niece to shave it all off,” Estrada said.
Hair loss, one of the most visible and emotional side effects of cancer treatment, can take a toll. With it often comes deeper losses of identity, privacy, and self-assurance. But at the 2026 “Beauty in Hope” celebration, those losses gave way to resilience.
On a sunlit terrace at City of Hope Orange County Cancer Specialty Hospital, Estrada was among nine women who sat side by side, watching as familiar versions of themselves began to reappear in the mirror. A sweep of blush. The careful shaping of a wig. The quiet inhale before looking up.
For some, it was the first time since treatment began that they didn’t see cancer looking back at them. There was laughter. There were happy tears. And most powerfully: the return of confidence.
“This day gives us an opportunity to celebrate beauty, courage and the hope that I can see shining in each and every one of you,” said Annette Walker, president of City of Hope Orange County. “To us, comprehensive cancer care is more than advanced treatments and leading-edge science. It means caring for the whole person.”
Through personalized wig stylings, “glam” makeup sessions and a shared afternoon tea, the experience offered both a physical transformation and a healing space where patients could feel like themselves again. “It’s very fulfilling to offer this to these courageous women,” said volunteer stylist Monique Rosales. “Hair can bring so much confidence and happiness to people fighting through a serious illness.”
Now, with Rosales’s help, Estrada saw something else reflected back: joy. Around her, other women shared similar stories of vulnerability and the desire to feel whole again. “I feel so happy right now,” said grateful patient Maura Quiroz. “Being able to see myself with a new look makes me even more determined to put all my heart into this. Thank you City of Hope, for making me feel like family.”
“Our hair is our crown,” said another patient, who requested not to give her name. “Having nice looking hair makes women feel good inside and out,” she said, adding that this day was especially meaningful for her, as she’s worked hard to keep her diagnosis private and not be seen with hair loss in her workplace. “You feel like people are staring at you, even though they’re probably not,” said another patient who wished to remain private.
Here, they didn’t have to hide.
As the women gathered for tea, Walker shared the Japanese tradition of kintsugi, repairing broken objects with gold to make them even more beautiful.
“What I love about this is that the object doesn’t hide what has been broken,” Walker said. “Instead, it honors the journey, the cracks that have become part of the story that reveal something stronger, more meaningful, and beautiful that ever existed before.
“Each of you has come to understand your own strength, your perseverance, the grace that you have and the hope that you carry,” Walker said. “We celebrate your courage, your resilience, and the extraordinary spirit that you bring with you everywhere you go.
Seeing and honoring the whole person is at the heart of City of Hope’s approach. Alongside leading-edge cancer treatment and research, the organization leads a range of nationally recognized supportive care and integrative oncology services to help patients navigate the physical and emotional challenges of cancer. Marybelle’s Boutique, located in City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center, offers wig fittings, head shaves, breast prostheses and guidance from oncology-trained cosmetologists, ensuring patients feel supported at every stage.
Estrada said the care she receives at City of Hope has helped heal not just her body but her mind and spirit as well. “Today, City of Hope gave me something back that I missed: seeing myself with my hair again and not what felt like a stranger in the mirror.”
The “Beauty in Hope” event, now in its second year, was made possible by a grateful former patient who donated the wigs and funding to give others the same experience.
With superior cancer survival rates, hope flourishes every day. This is Hope.
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A Living Promise of Hope
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