Un chapeau pour ta chimio Program: La Matanie Becomes the First Region in Canada to Offer Free Access to Cold Caps to Its Residents

Some initiatives truly demonstrate the extraordinary power of community mobilization. Un chapeau pour ta chimio is a remarkable example! The Garde tes cheveux Foundation extends its warmest congratulations to the entire team behind this 100% locally driven initiative, which has just made history in hair preservation across Canada. It all began with the story of Maryse Bouchard, the first woman in the region to use cold caps in an effort to preserve her hair during chemotherapy. Her personal experience sparked a powerful determination: to give others the same opportunity without financial barriers standing in their way. [https://gardetescheveux.org/en/temoignage-single/2025-04-11-maryse-bouchard/](Read Maryse’s story) Led by four determined women, Maryse Bouchard, Marie-Josée Langlais, Annie Beaulieu, and Émilie Simard, who deeply believe in the positive impact that preserving one’s hair can have on self-esteem, dignity, and quality of life during cancer treatment, the initiative quickly brought an entire community together. **La Matanie RCM becomes the first region in Canada to collectively mobilize to provide eligible residents with free access to cold caps, regardless of which healthcare facility administers their chemotherapy treatments.** But what makes this initiative even more exceptional is that it goes far beyond financial assistance. The local organization Un chapeau pour ta chimio has developed a comprehensive network of community-based support services: - Financial assistance of up to $4,000 per eligible person to cover expenses associated with using cold caps. - Personalized, local guidance and support to help individuals navigate their hair preservation journey. - A team of trained volunteers available to assist with cold cap changes during chemotherapy treatments. - A partnership with a local hair salon that will even provide hair-washing services to individuals undergoing treatment. A comprehensive, deeply compassionate program that could inspire many other regions across Quebec and Canada. The Garde tes cheveux Foundation is particularly proud to have helped bring this initiative to life by contributing its expertise, resources, and guidance to this remarkable community effort. This partnership demonstrates how combining local leadership with the knowledge and resources of specialized organizations can help eliminate very real barriers to care. And the community’s response has been extraordinary! More than $35,000 was raised during the program’s official launch on October 8 at the Riotel hotel in Matane! Of note, Dr. Delphine Plassart of Matane Hospital has also generously offered to cover the cost of cold cap therapy for one additional patient each year! These funds will allow several women and men in the region to access a hair preservation option that might otherwise have remained financially out of reach. To Maryse, the three other women leading this initiative alongside her, the volunteers, corporate partners, donors, and the entire La Matanie community: thank you and congratulations! You have demonstrated how one person’s experience can spark a collective movement capable of making a meaningful difference in the lives of people affected by cancer. Because preserving your hair during chemotherapy is about so much more than appearance. It is also about preserving a part of your identity and your sense of empowerment. And because the greatest changes sometimes begin with the story of just one person. Together, let’s continue changing the face of cancer. One hair at a time! [https://gardetescheveux.org/en/fonds-singles/un-chapeau-pour-ta-chimio/](FOR FULL PROGRAM DETAILS AND TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION) [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kv-3RTu2vnba4ZTSvqcYsdrVmc9xSK0e/view?usp=sharing](READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE - French only) Follow Un chapeau pour ta chimio on [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589811329046](Facebook) and [https://www.instagram.com/unchapeaupourtachimio](Instagram). Watch the event highlights on [https://youtu.be/SYl_FPtyv1I](YouTube). Listen to Maryse Bouchard and Sophie Reis’s interview [https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/plein-phare/segments/rattrapage/2497224/un-chapeau-pour-garder-ses-cheveux-pendant-chimio](Plein Phare, Radio-Canada)