Caps for Courage was founded by a family who lost their loved one to a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. Her name was Linda, and she had a heart for serving others, even through the most challenging years of her life. In 2023, she was receiving chemo treatments at the Oklahoma Cancer Specialists and Research Institute (OCSRI) in Tulsa, OK. There is a tree in the treatment center that offers knit and crocheted caps for cancer patients when they lose their hair due to the treatments they receive. Linda noticed at one of her visits that the caps on the tree were nice for the cold months, but that they sometimes were not as comfortable on her sensitive skin in the warmer months and when she was outdoors. She purchased some soft material caps on Amazon for herself, and she loved the texture and different styles. She could even match them to her outfits! She thought others going through cancer treatments might like these soft caps too, so she ordered them in bulk and put them on the cap tree every time she was there. One day when Linda was at the center, she noticed a woman taking one of the caps she had just placed on the tree. The woman became emotional and told Linda that she was insecure about her bald head, and she had been so worried about looking nice at a wedding she was attending that weekend. She expressed that the bedazzled hat she took from the tree was going to match her dress and make her feel more confident and beautiful! Linda didn’t let the woman know where the cap came from, as she was always giving to others quietly and without drawing attention to herself. And every time Linda visited the tree, the caps she had placed previously had all been taken.

It was Linda’s hope that the cancer caps on the OCSRI tree would be taken by anyone who needed to feel comfortable and confident in their new skin. Cancer changes people physically, as well as mentally and emotionally. Cancer takes so much from the people it affects. Having a soft, “cute” cap can be a simple way to relieve some of the insecurity and distress that cancer creates. Linda wore her soft caps to protect her head and give her a semblance of control over her appearance as it changed with the cancer and treatments.

It is now our hope to carry on the love Linda shared through the cancer caps. She simply wanted others battling cancer to feel beautiful and happy about themselves. She wanted people to feel courageous and hopeful about their journeys, just as she did while she was fighting her own.