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October 13, 2008

Office rallies to support breast cancer awareness

Pink hair extensions make the point

Kim Sloan

Genny Chester had a mammogram just two weeks before she accidentally hit her breast at work and felt a sharp pain.

“It felt like it was a little marble,” Chester said. “In a week, it was the size of a golf ball.”

At age 37, Chester was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer. She endured six months of chemotherapy and a mastectomy. She was working full time at James Todd’s dentist office in Dalton while also attending college.

“I was in shock.” she said of the diagnosis. “I cried. I thought of my daughter, who was 4 years old.”

That was seven years ago. Today, the mother of three is cancer free.

Chester said she only missed work on days she had chemotherapy. A dental hygienist, she has worked in Todd’s office for nine years. Monday afternoon, she added a single pink extension to her hair in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is observed each October. The five other staff members in the office honored Chester and other breast cancer victims and survivors by also adding single pink hair extensions.

“Genny had a patient who had hers done,” said Monica Hix, the office manager. “We decided as a group to get all of ours done, too.”

They called Todd, who was vacationing in Europe with his wife, and he approved.

“We had been talking about the economy and how bad it was, then we got this call,” Todd said. “It was like a breath of fresh air that they came up with this idea.”

Lashea Newton of Studio 101 of Dalton came to the office and added the pink extensions. The salon is donating the proceeds to The Perfect Fit, a Dalton business that sells items such as wigs and bras to cancer victims. The money will be used to buy a wig for a cancer patient.

Three other stylists at the salon are also doing the pink hair extensions, Newton said.

“I’ve done about 20 something,” she said.

The staff in Todd’s office plan to wear their hair extensions for the rest of the month.

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