"I am honored to be selected as a recipient of the Wigs.com Hair Loss Scholarship. My hair loss journey began in high school, when I started noticing thinning after years of relaxing my hair. In 2015, I was diagnosed with Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA), a scarring form of hair loss that disproportionately affects Black women.
Living with CCCA has been both challenging and transformative. For me, wearing a wig restores my confidence, dignity, and sense of self. But beyond personal comfort, it has fueled my mission as a medical student and patient advocate to ensure others living with hair loss are seen, heard, and supported.
I have worked to help secure the first of its kind unique ICD-10-CM codes for CCCA and Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA), effective October 2024. A hairstoric moment! I have also advocated for the passage of a wigs insurance coverage bill in Illinois, which passed in June 2024. My journey has taught me that hair loss is not just a medical condition or a cosmetic condition, but it is an emotional one, and no one should have to face it alone.
Thank you to Wigs.com for recognizing my story and supporting my dream to become a physician who uplifts patients with compassion, advocacy, and understanding."