A fundraiser at Pulaski Memorial Hospital culminated in the presentation of a check for $350 to Christina Pugh to go toward a $5000 goal pledged to Riley Children’s Foundation in Indianapolis by Emily Larkin. Larkin pledged the goal in honor of her sister, Christina Pugh, a cancer survivor. The $350 check had been raised by hospital employees during a “pizza and jeans day” fundraiser.
Pugh was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in September 1996, and Larkin shaved her sister’s head; now, Pugh has returned that favor by shaving Larkin’s head for the fundraiser.
As a trained and licensed cosmetologist and cancer survivor, Pugh has volunteered with the American Cancer Society’s Look Good Feel Better program since her recovery, and said she believes she is in a special position to encourage women in similar situations. The program is held four times a year at Pulaski Memorial Hospital.
Pugh said she has found that counseling other women also helps her, and she said that compared to some of the women attending the classes, she’s relatively young – but she went on to say that age doesn’t matter a bit when you are dealing with cancer, chemotherapy, and radiation.
The next Look Good Feel Better event is planned for March 11 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the hospital’s board room. Women who are fighting cancer will receive hands-on instruction including tips on make-up, skin care, nail care, and the use of wigs or scarves. This program is free of charge, and women of any county are welcome to attend. To register, call (574) 946-2180.
