My name is Justin Schoen, I am 17 years old and am a senior in high school. I learned what dignity really means watching my Mom go through chemotherapy last year.
One of the hardest parts for her was the fear of losing her hair. My Mom has always been known for her beautiful long red curly, now straight, hair. It has always been a huge part of her identity. The thought of losing it was frightening. Hair is not just hair. It is identity, confidence, and the ability to still recognize yourself when everything else feels uncertain. That is when I learned about scalp cooling.
Scalp cooling helps reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss and promotes regrowth by protecting hair follicles during treatment. It allows patients to hold onto their sense of self while fighting cancer. But insurance rarely covers it, and the cost can reach thousands of dollars.
A patient’s wallet should never determine whether they can scalp cool, save their crown, or preserve their dignity during cancer treatment. That belief is why I founded Cap My Crown. Our mission is to increase both awareness and accessibility so more patients know scalp cooling exists and can actually afford it. We partner with HairToStay, the only nonprofit in the US dedicated to helping low-income cancer patients access this treatment.
People ask why I make time for this alongside school, sports, and community commitments. The answer is simple. When you watch someone you love go through cancer, you do not forget it. You show up, because you understand how much it matters to feel like yourself during the hardest moments of your life.
Cap My Crown exists to protect dignity, restore confidence, and spread awareness so no patient has to face cancer without options, helping save one crown at a time.
One of the hardest parts for her was the fear of losing her hair. My Mom has always been known for her beautiful long red curly, now straight, hair. It has always been a huge part of her identity. The thought of losing it was frightening. Hair is not just hair. It is identity, confidence, and the ability to still recognize yourself when everything else feels uncertain. That is when I learned about scalp cooling.
Scalp cooling helps reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss and promotes regrowth by protecting hair follicles during treatment. It allows patients to hold onto their sense of self while fighting cancer. But insurance rarely covers it, and the cost can reach thousands of dollars.
A patient’s wallet should never determine whether they can scalp cool, save their crown, or preserve their dignity during cancer treatment. That belief is why I founded Cap My Crown. Our mission is to increase both awareness and accessibility so more patients know scalp cooling exists and can actually afford it. We partner with HairToStay, the only nonprofit in the US dedicated to helping low-income cancer patients access this treatment.
People ask why I make time for this alongside school, sports, and community commitments. The answer is simple. When you watch someone you love go through cancer, you do not forget it. You show up, because you understand how much it matters to feel like yourself during the hardest moments of your life.
Cap My Crown exists to protect dignity, restore confidence, and spread awareness so no patient has to face cancer without options, helping save one crown at a time.
