JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local hair stylist is giving back to breast cancer survivors in a truly amazing way. She’s giving away free wigs to help these women feel beautiful through their fight.
The smile on Marlaina Browning’s face — and that look of confidence — said it all.
“I feel fabulous,” Browning said.
Having gone through a tough breast cancer journey, Browning said the gift of this free wig means so much.
“It’s priceless because I can go out this door, knowing I’m beautiful inside and out,” Browning said.
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Browning’s journey involved a double mastectomy and 18 surgeries related to her cancer. The most recent was in November.
All while raising her son in Nassau County.
“He was in 10th grade when I was diagnosed. And when you tell kids that you have cancer, especially with my son who was like, ‘Mom, you’re not going to die, are you?’ That was a very defining moment for me because I didn’t him to see me crying,” Browning said.
One person who has helped turn those tears around is Tarina Akbari, the woman behind this mission.
She has been styling hair for over two decades and has been giving free wigs to survivors for the last 10.
“So, when I knew that I could change somebody’s life through their hair, it actually changed me. I love giving back, it makes me feel really good,” Akbari said.
The wigs were either purchased or donated from local businesses, making this a community effort.
“Oh my god, words cannot explain how it makes me feel. That’s why I do what I do. I’m getting chills on my body right now because I love making women feel beautiful,” Akbari said.
Akbari is helping survivors in another way too.
She’s created an all-natural serum called Crowns of Glory. This is to help women regrow their hair after chemotherapy treatment.
On her wrist, Browning wears her “Marlaina Strong” bracelet.
“Whatever you’re going through in life, not just breast cancer, you have to be strong. And it’s always a reminder that with this bracelet, with this circle, I have a circle of people that love me and want me to be strong,” Browning said.
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Helping our local fighters look and feel beautiful this Christmas, and always.
To learn more about how you can help Akbari’s mission to provide free wigs to cancer survivors, visit Tarina’s Hair Salon’s Instagram page or website.