5 Incredible Hello Gorgeous! Stories

At Douglas J Salons, we’re thrilled to be partners with Hello Gorgeous!, a nonprofit organization that provides makeovers and cosmetic lessons to women fighting cancer. This partnership has allowed us to meet some incredibly brave women and help them feel more beautiful and confident as they go through a difficult time. We wanted to take the opportunity to spotlight five of our most recent makeovers. We hope you feel as inspired by these stories as we do!

Lenora Nim

Lenora was nominated for a Hello Gorgeous! makeover by her daughter-in-law-to-be, Jenny. Jenny wanted Lenora to enjoy this experience because she considers her family.

“She has been there for me as if she was my own mother from the beginning especially after my own mother passed away,” Jenny said. “She cares more for others and constantly is taking care of others before she takes care of herself.” Lenora was diagnosed with skin cancer and is currently undergoing treatment, which has resulted in some scarring. Jenny wanted her future mother-in-law to feel beautiful and appreciated through this experience. “She truly is a strong, loving and courageous woman and deserves to feel loved and beautiful!”

Jeannie Thaden

Jeannie is a mother of two, grandmother of five, and a selfless, loving person. She was nominated by her dear friend Lindsey for the Hello Gorgeous! experience. Jeannie is currently battling breast cancer but continues to remain positive throughout the fight.

“She always puts everyone before herself,”

Lindsey said.

“Even when she was struggling to get through the normal day to day tasks that used to be easy. She is a trooper and I envy her courage.”

At the time of her makeover, Jeannie had a wedding coming up and was feeling frustrated about how she might look for the occasion due to her treatment. Lindsey wanted her friend to put herself first for once so she could feel beautiful and confident.

“I know it will take time for her to heal and I know she will get her confidence back,” she said. “But she could use a little encouragement. After all, that’s always what she’s done for everyone else.”

Cindy Hormant

Cindy was nominated for Hello Gorgeous! by a member of her family, Alicia. Cindy was diagnosed with colon cancer at just age 49.

“She has grown grace and strength throughout her chemo treatments,”

Alicia said.

“And she’s constantly still trying to take care of other people.”

Everyone deserves a day of pampering, particularly those who are going through cancer treatment. Alicia nominated Cindy for this experience because she wanted her loved one to take some time to relax and practice self-care.

Beth Hengstebeck

Beth was nominated for Hello Gorgeous! by her caretaker Melissa. Beth has spent much of her life caring for people as an RN. At age 45, she’s undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.

“I think “How wonderful would it be to take care of someone who has dedicated her life as an RN to take care of people?”

Melissa said. “To have someone pamper her in her time of need. She is a wonderful lady going through a very scary time”

Ann Sovey

Ann is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments for breast cancer. Her son Chris nominated her for Hello Gorgeous”.

“My mother is an incredible woman who has dedicated her life and career as a professional counselor to helping others find the beauty within themselves,”

Chris said.

“She raised both my sister and I to be productive members of society and she has always put passion and love into everything she does.”

Chris knew that although his mother had accepted the loss of her hair, she was still having a difficult time with self-confidence. He wanted her to have the opportunity to “illuminate her inner and outer beauty” through the Hello Gorgeous! experience.

Douglas J Cares

We can’t wait to have more Hello Gorgeous! experiences with the wonderful women who live in our cities. Every makeover teaches us about what really matters in life. These women are selfless, caring people who deserve a chance to feel beautiful as they battle a serious illness. If you want to nominate a woman who’s battling cancer for Hello Gorgeous!, click here. We’d love to provide them with a much-deserved day of pampering!

We’d like to offer a special thank you to Maurice’s and Van Attas for providing the clothing and flowers for these makeovers!
Read other Hello Gorgeous! stories:

Eva’s Story

Deena’s Story

Ally’s Story