Windsor hospice pampered by St. Clair hair stylists

In her ongoing battle with breast cancer, Lorna Lennox cherished the opportunity to be pampered Tuesday morning.

She was one of about a dozen patients to get mini-makovers from 20 beauty school students from St. Clair College. 

The students enrolled in St. Clair's hair stylist program washed, cut and styled hair at St. Clair's salon facilities at the main building on the South Campus.

"It feels wonderful," Lennox said. "Being a patient at the hospice, it brings out my self-esteem. It just makes us feel beautiful."

Emotional experience

Junior hair stylist Cori Dufresne found her time with Lennox quite emotional.

"When I was talking to my client, I was getting goose bumps, just hearing her story," she said.

The whole day was also a valuable learning experience for Dufresne. Making small talk with her clients will be a significant part of her job when she graduates, so learning to discuss a sensitive topic like breast cancer was eye opening.

"I feel like it's a touchy, sensitive subject and you have to be very conscience of what you say and how you say it," she said. "At the same time, you just want to make them feel comfortable and make them feel good and happy to be here."

Hospice officials appreciated the time the students took Tuesday.

"It may seem like a small thing, but having your hair done by someone else and getting a bit of pampering can make such a difference in mood," Carol Derbyshire, Hospice executive director said in a statement.