Mario's Closet: Instilling hope and healing
It’s the little things that matter. It’s the friendly greeting on a bad day and the knowledge that you are not alone that can change the tides. For the patients and families that visit Mario’s Closet, it is the volunteers and resources that matter.
“We don’t just offer wigs, we offer support,” said Lauren Cobb, LMH Health Volunteer Services manager. “When people are in the thick of it and have gone through hell and back, Mario’s Closet is a place of support and comfort for them.”
Mario’s Closet was created from a $25,000 donation from the Mario V. Chalmers Foundation, created by former University of Kansas basketball player Mario Chalmers. His goal was to make cancer patients feel like themselves again. This desire stems from a longtime friendship with Paul Peterson whose mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998. “Miss Pauline,” who was like a second mother to Chalmers, lost her battle with the disease in 2006.
Mario’s Closet opened at LMH Health in 2011, focusing on reviving hope and repairing the confidence of people receiving treatment for a cancer diagnosis or other major illness. The store, which stocks a diverse array of resources from wigs and hard-to-find items, serves patients and families in Lawrence and beyond, reaching into Topeka and Kansas City.
Mario’s Closet partners with local vendors to offer additional products for patients and customers beyond what is found in the shop. These vendors include CritiCare, which offers durable medical equipment for patients needing items such as prosthetics or compression garments. Mario’s Closet also partners with Shelly Hoggatt, a local cosmetologist and wig specialist, who professionally fits and special orders wigs for customers looking for a specific style or fit.
Mario’s resources
The largest resource Mario’s Closet provides in the shop is wigs. Each person who meets a specific set of requirements is allowed to receive one free wig every 12 months and up to three wigs in total. The primary requirement is that the person receiving the wig must have a medical condition that results in hair loss. These conditions range from hair loss due to medication, cancer treatment, alopecia and stress.
“Wigs are incredibly expensive, so it is a big deal to be able to offer them for free,” Cobb said.
While the material items play a large part in the resources Mario’s Closet offers, its most valuable resource is its volunteers. The volunteers tend to be cancer survivors and are able to provide emotional support alongside physical support.
“When I was going through cancer, there wasn’t any place to go to get a wig,” said longtime volunteer Mary Higgins. “It wasn’t convenient and it was very stressful. There was no one-on-one connection like we have at Mario’s Closet.”
In the past, Mario’s stock of wigs was reliant on donations from community members. Every once in a while, a cancer survivor or family member would donate their wigs to be refurbished and given to a person in need. However, the American Cancer Society recently donated a large number of new wigs in a variety of styles and textures.
“Refurbished wigs can be a bit more worn and loved, but the American Cancer Society ones are new,” explained Cobb. “The magical thing about the donation is it allows us to offer more.”
In the past year, Mario’s Closet has given 26 wigs to people in need and shifted its focus from being a gift shop to being a cancer support center and wig shop. They stock items for those who are grieving or going through a rough time in their life, as well as a few hard-to-find items, such as an Afro-textured wig line called “Coils to Locs,” and items geared toward cancer patients, like PsiBands that help fight nausea. The goal is to be more than a one-stop shop and be a place that instills hope and healing for patients and community members that are going through a rough time.
“I’ve found that people don’t realize that we are here. It’s sharing our story and mission that helps people know that they are not alone,” said Cobb.
Having the main focus of Mario’s be on wigs can make it easier to understand and enter the space, but Mario’s has much more to offer. Patients and community members are eligible to request assistance with additional resources through the Mario’s Closet Assistance Fund. According to Cobb, the staff works closely with the LMH Health Cancer Center to identify those who have a need for prosthetics, medical equipment, a special order wig or also need financial assistance to cover the cost of these items.
Most importantly, Mario’s Closet lends an ear to all who walk through its doors.
“I went in looking for something to buy for my friend in Mississippi who was diagnosed with cancer and the volunteer, Mary, was able to give me some information to share with them,” said Jennifer Carter. “We looked around for a program like Mario’s Closet for her, but they didn’t have any in Mississippi. I went back and Mary was able to help me find a wig to ship to her.”
Mario’s Closet focuses on supporting not only the customer but also their friends and family. Mary, the volunteer in Mario’s Closet that day, helped Jennifer process and understand her friend’s diagnosis.
“We are going to go to bat for you. If we don’t have what you’re looking for here, we will connect you to someone who does,” stated Cobb.
Seeking assistance
Mario’s Closet is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday – Friday, based on the availability of volunteers. You can also make an appointment.
“We are open at certain times because we are volunteer-based, but as long as the gift shop is open – we will be happy to let you in,” said Cobb.
To learn more about what Mario’s Closet has to offer, request assistance or become a volunteer, please contact Lauren Cobb, LMH Health Volunteer Services manager, at 785-505-3141.
