INFOCUS
BRINGING CONFIDENCE TO WOMEN IN NEED
WRITTEN BY SOPHIE OSWALD / PHOTOS BY MELANIE MCDOWELL
Diane Joy Bender has had a passion for hair since she was young. Finding ways to fuel this desire wasn’t difficult. She played with the hair on her dolls and styled any wigs she could get her hands on. After high school she began college, but the courses didn’t resonate with her. Having never forgotten this passion for hair, she made her way to cosmetology school. Years later, Bender hit a bump in the road when she learned she had breast cancer. “When I was first diagnosed at age 34, I did not know a soul who had ever had breast cancer. I was an anomaly in my family as well,” says Bender. This was a challenging and confusing time in her life that encouraged her to make some changes. She decided to go back to school and finish her communication degree. This allowed her to advocate for women in countless ways. One experience she looks back on fondly was when she represented the American Cancer Society, testifying in front of the Kansas Senate for legislation to have breast
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SIMPLYkc MAGAZINE
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FEBRUARY 2021
Renewing a Passion for Hair
“I love what I do and can’t imagine not doing it. I get a great deal of joy and peace out of helping women and their families.” reconstruction be covered by insurance after mastectomy. She has appeared in magazines, on television, and even posed topless in the Topeka Capital Journal. “It impacted the mammography facilities in Topeka to the point women had to book appointments months in advance,” she explains.
After years focused on giving to the community, Bender found her way back to her first true passion: hair. She opened her own salon and spa called Red Poppy Wigs and Cancer Care Products. She has given up the large audiences and instead is focused on helping women individually. Consistently meeting new women and helping them through such difficult times is something Bender takes pride in. “I get to make them feel better about how they will look and let them know that there is hope,” Bender adds.
