In memory of Robin

Robin Ball had decided it was time for her hair to go. “The minute she started losing some hair, she’s like, ‘I’m taking it off.’ And boy, did she,” says Carrie Meo, Robin’s best friend and business partner, as she described Robin’s freshly-shaven head.
 
Robin was undergoing treatment for breast cancer and the chemotherapy had started to thin her hair. Robin approached her journey with incredible determination and grace, yet in private, she confided to Carrie that losing her hair really affected her.
 
“She was married, she was still young, and her hair was a big part of her identity,” says Carrie.
 
An estimated 1,400 Maine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019 and many of them will lose their hair, which could affect their attitude toward treatment.


When Robin was diagnosed with breast cancer, Carrie learned as much as she could about the disease so she could better support her friend’s journey. Carrie found that for some patients, hair loss isn’t inevitable, thanks to new technology that cools the scalp while a patient receives chemotherapy. Backed by Carrie’s passion and leadership, a fundraising effort is now underway to bring this technology to the Lafayette Family Cancer Institute.
 
Cancer took Robin’s life in 2016, and while Robin couldn’t avoid losing her own hair, Carrie knows that Robin would be enthusiastic about helping women gain a sense of control over a side effect that can be devastating.
 
“I’m sure she’d be very proud about what we’re trying to get accomplished, and I think she’d definitely see it as something that’s needed in the community,” says Carrie.