“Hair Karma” with Tabitha Holman
Tabitha Holman was diagnosed at 39 with de novo Stage IV breast cancer. Tabitha is an elementary school teacher, and mother of two young boys. At the time of her diagnosis, she was considered too young and low-risk to access a timely mammogram when she found her lump. Now she is focusing her efforts on advocacy in hopes of improving access to screening, research, and care.
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Hair Karma
"Facing chemo-induced hair loss was incredibly difficult for me. My hair has always been a big part of my identity."
When Tabitha was faced with losing her hair due to chemo, it wasn’t just hair to her - it was identity, visibility, and the memory of who she was before diagnosis. Only months after giving birth, navigating postpartum life and cancer at once, she turned to cold capping to try to save her hair - even though her oncologist wasn't optimistic it would work with the amount of chemo she needed.
Tabitha was told that success with cold capping was considered by maintaining just 30% - 50% of her hair. "I joked, through tears, that maybe I had earned some good hair karma for something I had done two decades before."
At 18, she’d cut her long hair to donate to Locks of Love. “I’ll be honest, I hated my hair short,” she said. “But a year later, I got a letter saying they used my hair to make two wigs for two little girls going through cancer treatment.”
In the end, cold capping saved 90% of Tabitha's hair. “In a roundabout way, the universe paid me back. You get what you give. Kindness matters.”
Tabitha’s story is about the invisible threads that connect who we once were with who we are now - and how grace can find its way back when we need it most.
Writing Prompt Inspired by Today’s Episode
Set your timer for ten minutes, write without stopping or editing yourself. There is magic in leaning into that time. The prompt is:
Full circle…
I want you to write about a time in your life when something came back to you - whether as a gift, a lesson, a form of grace. It could be something you gave away, something you thought was lost, or even a part of yourself you didn't know you needed to see. Lean into what it felt like when that came full circle for you.
If you find that you write best with a good prompt, check out our free prompts and learn about our writing workshops.
Happy writing! Until next time, take good care.
Episode Links
Read a transcript of this episode.
Purchase the "Hair” issue of Wildfire Journal.
More about our episode sponsor After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD).
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