Breast Cancer Survivor Helps Fund Wigs for Cancer Patients

October 2025

Crystal Rowe was only 32 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was a nurse and young mother at the time, and the diagnosis turned her world upside down. All of a sudden, doctor appointments, radiation, chemotherapy, and the uncertainty of cancer filled her days.

When she initially felt a lump in her breast, she thought it might be a cyst. She went to an urgent care nearby and was advised to get an ultrasound, which turned into needing a biopsy. When she got a call back from her doctor, she knew something was wrong.

“They told me I needed to come into the office to talk about the results,” she said. “As a nurse, I knew then it wasn’t going to be good.”

Crystal received care throughout Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH). As a longtime employee at VMFH, she knew she would be in good hands.

“It felt unreal,” she said. “When you have cancer, you feel like you have no control over your life. I’ve always been a fighter. I was going to fight this, and I wasn’t going to let cancer define me,” she said. “I hope my story makes people feel like they aren’t alone.”

When Crystal became a survivor, she wanted to give back.

“I’m so appreciative,” she said. “I was given a second chance to live. Today, I live life to the fullest.”

That includes getting back to doing the things she loves to do, like riding her Harley Davidson. She and her husband ride together, and he is a member of the BFE motorcycle club. Every year, motorcycle clubs raise money for charities, and BFE M/C is no different. It was an honor to Crystal that they picked a cause close to her heart that supports breast cancer and VMFH. They chose the VMFH Wig Salon program which offers wig salons at six hospitals throughout the region, including Virginia Mason Medical Center, St. Anthony, St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Michael Medical Center, St. Francis Hospital, and St. Anne Hospital.

When Crystal lost her hair during treatment, she felt incredibly vulnerable, and felt she was missing a part of her individual identity. She wore wigs, hats and scarves, and she said she wanted to make sure resources for wigs were available to other cancer patients.

“As a cancer survivor, I know what it’s like to be affected by cancer, and the devastation it causes,” she said. “When you lose your hair, you feel less than. I don’t want others to feel that way.”