Southampton cancer patient says she was offered 'joke' wig

Helena Boyce said that the Macmillan Cancer Support-run wig service at Southampton General Hospital did not have any afro hair units in stock when she first needed one in 2014.

Instead, the 46-year-old Southampton mum claimed she was offered one that looked like it came from a costume shop.

"It was so bad - it was like a joke wig," she said. "It was literally like something you would get from a joke shop."

She added: "It was literally like a 118 advert, slash 80s Dallas American sitcom, slash mullet.

"My friend that was with me fell from the table she was sitting on in laughter."

Macmillan said Helena's experience was 'unacceptable' and now works with two different wig suppliers, with 'the aim to have better choice for all ethnicities'.

READ MORE: Woman diagnosed with cancer days after mum's funeral

Helena Boyce after losing her hair in October 2014 (Image: UGC) The street dance instructor and health advisor said she was first diagnosed in August 2014 with an aggressive form of breast cancer - curtailing her plans to enter a bodybuilding contest later that year.

"Luckily it was still stage one, so we weren't in trouble at all," she said.

But the mum still needed months of chemotherapy and targeted hormone therapy to treat the cancer, which led to her losing her hair.

Aside from her experience with the Macmillan service - which saw her buy her own wig with a £100 voucher she was given - she claimed she was sometimes referred to as a 'troublemaker' by hospital staff on the cancer ward.

Helena before her cancer diagnosis in March 2014 (Image: UGC) Helena said she was 'probably a bit louder' than other patients in a 'light-hearted' effort to get through her treatment.

But she questioned whether this label was a microaggression due to her race.

She said: "I know that it's not meant with any malice, or in a bad way. But it just brings me back to 'oh, is that because I stand out?

"Is that because I'm a mixed race woman, you're putting that label on me: 'oh here comes the troublemaker'?"

Helena during her forth round of chemotherapy (Image: UGC) Despite having a mastectomy, the cancer came back in the same spot - requiring further bouts of treatment that finally ended in 2023.

Helena has since founded YOUbuntu, an organisation focused on racism, diversity, and inclusion education.

She is also part of Black Women Rising, a support group for women of colour diagnosed with cancer and one of Macmillan's key partners.

Helena now speaks in schools as part of her community work (Image: UGC) Steven McIntosh, executive director of advocacy and communications at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Helena’s experiences are unacceptable, and her story demonstrates that too many Black women continue to have their cancer journeys made even more difficult without the right care and support.

"That includes limited choices of appropriate wigs and prosthesis, and can even mean not getting diagnosed or treated quickly enough.

“Macmillan, the NHS, and all organisations involved in cancer care have to work harder to ensure our services and advice are always accessible and appropriate.

"We’ve made some progress but there is much more to do and we can’t do it alone. The voices of people affected, like Helena, are essential if we want to make meaningful changes."

Helena with her family (Image: UGC)

A spokesperson for Southampton General said they took 'immediate action' after finding out about the issues with the wig service and now offer a range of services, including a discreet salon-like experience.

They said the hospital had brought in new strategies and changed policies and procedures to make it more inclusive and will 'continue to learn' to improve patients' experience.

Helena will share her story at a screening of the play Unseen Unheard: The untold breast cancer stories of Black Women tonight at 7pm at the Thornden Hall Auditorium in Chandler's Ford.

Tickets are free, with a suggested donation of £7.50 to Black Women Rising. Tickets can be accessed trybooking.com/uk/eventlist/unseenunheard