NEWINGTON
Town Crier Friday, February 3, 2012
The bald and the beautiful Support group connects women with rare disorder
Cloud nine
By ERICA SCHMITT STAFF WRITER
West Hartford native Thea Chassin feels like a matchmaker. She brings women to the same place at the same time so they can connect on an uncommon commonality: their hair comes and goes. Chassin founded the nonprofit “Bald Girls Do Lunch” in 2007, with a mission to improve the quality of life for women of all ages living with the auto-immune disorder alopecia areata.
“They make these new friendships. It’s just fabulous,” she says. She and more than a dozen others affected by the non-lifethreatening, physically painless, yet unpredictable hair loss condition, are meeting up this weekend in Newington for lunch. “It helps women see their life in a new way, develop new thinking,” said Chassin, who feels fortunate that others affected by the disorder are open with her and each other about their own struggles and experiences. Those who realize they have
alopecia often feel alone and misunderstood, according to Chassin. In the outside world, they are sometimes mistaken for cancer patients. She teaches them much more than just how to apply fake See ALOPECIA, Page 5
Volume 53, No. 1
Free
Rob Heyl | Staff
Brendon Richard takes a shot on goal during Newington-Berlin s 3-1 victory over Windsor-Farmington-Avon Monday. The victory marked the Indians ninth win in a row. See story and photos on Page 15.
A meeting of the nonprofit support group Bald Girls Do Lunch, which brings together women with the auto-immune disorder alopecia areata.
INSIDE:
New Human Services director named, Page 6
Town partners with CCSU interns, Page 4 Local dining guide, Pages 11-14
Malloy lukewarm on proposed minimum wage increase, Page 16
Karen Futoma