Turning a Cancer Journey Into a Greater Purpose

At Hair Solutions Salon & Spa in New Berlin, Wisconsin, beauty has always meant more than what happens behind the chair. For owner Dawn Panfil, it has also become a way to give back, create awareness, and support people in the community during some of the most challenging moments of their lives.

Dawn is an 18-year breast cancer survivor and one of the driving forces behind Living Well Beyond Cancer, a survivorship program created to help bridge a wellness recovery gap she experienced firsthand after completing cancer treatment.

Her journey began with an unexpected diagnosis. At 47 years old, Dawn went for her first mammogram. She had never felt a lump and never expected to hear the words that would change her life: she had Breast Cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation followed. But Dawn quickly discovered something she hadn't anticipated.

The Journey does not end when cancer treatment is finished.

The "New Normal" After Cancer Treatment

After active treatment ends, survivors are often encouraged to return to their lives and embrace a "new normal." But Dawn remembers how difficult that transition could be.

Treatment had taken a significant toll on her body. She experienced brain fog, loss of strength and daily fatigue that continued for years to come. Treatment included 10 years of Tamoxifen and HER2+ treatment.

"There was a missing link as you try to find your way back into the real world."

In 2008, Dawn felt there wasn't enough guidance available to help survivors understand what life after treatment might look like. She wanted information. She wanted resources. And perhaps most importantly, she wanted to connect with other people who understood what she was experiencing. That missing piece would eventually help inspire something much bigger.

An Idea That Started With Pink Hair Extensions

During her cancer journey, Dawn became friendly with breast cancer surgeon Dr. Julie Kepple at Aurora Health Care in West Allis. Dr. Kepple had an idea to raise money by selling pink barrettes to help cancer patients with expenses that weren't always covered by insurance, such as wigs and transportation to and from treatment.

That conversation sparked an idea for Dawn. As the owner of Hair Solutions Salon & Spa in New Berlin, she already had a business, a team of Stylists and relationships throughout the community. She realized she could use those resources to help.

And that's when the idea for Pink Hair extensions to "Extend Awareness for Breast Cancer" was born. In October 2008, Dawn's salon began offering $15 Pink Hair extensions. The team also reached beyond the Salon, visiting local schools and businesses throughout the area to install pink extensions and spread breast cancer awareness. Participating local businesses included Panera Bread donating a portion of their Pink Ribbon Bagels and Ace Hardware that also donated a post of sales from their Pink Porch Lightbulbs.

The response was incredible. In the first year, the effort raised $10,000 in just two months.

From One Salon to a Southeastern Wisconsin Movement

What began at Dawn's salon continued to grow. The initiative was originally called Think Pink and later became Pink Possible. Eventually, as many as 36 salons throughout Southeastern Wisconsin participated. Today we proudly call our Breast Cancer fundraising Living Well Beyond Cancer.

According to Dawn, participating salons, schools & businesses collectively raised more than $500,000, with funds remaining in the communities where they were raised and supporting programs through Aurora Health Care, only at the West Allis location. Hair Solutions alone has raised nearly $200,000. As of 2025, 230 individuals have participated in LWBC, and today $480 funds an individual to participate in the program.

The participating salons stretched from Green Bay to Kenosha, showing just how powerful a simple idea could become when local businesses and their communities worked together.

Over time, the number of participating salons declined. Today, Dawn says Hair Solutions Salon & Spa continues its fundraising efforts to help keep Living Well Beyond Cancer going.

It's a mission summed up by Dawn's favorite phrase: "When you TRY, you can TRIUMPH!"

What Is Living Well Beyond Cancer?

Living Well Beyond Cancer addresses something Dawn believes is essential for survivors: a pathway to knowledge, exercise and empowering support after active cancer treatment ends.

The initiative is designed specifically for individuals who have completed active treatment for breast cancer (or are continuing maintenance therapy with oncologist approval). It focuses on navigating the transition into long-term survivorship by providing tools to improve lifestyle choices and lower the risk of cancer recurrence.

The program typically features:

• 10 Weekly Educational Classes: Group sessions led by dietitians for healthy meal choices, exercise specialists, and program coordinators.
• Fitness Club Access: Complimentary access to all seven area locations of the Wisconsin Athletic Club for the duration of the course.
• Personal Training: Two 60-minute individual physical activity sessions with a certified personal trainer to meet a person's needs.
• Nutritional Guidance: Focused evidence-based coaching and resources to manage healthy eating habits.

For Dawn, the connection between survivors is especially meaningful. During her own journey, she sought out other women who had experienced breast cancer. Those conversations gave her information, perspective and support.She describes it as a "Sisterhood that lives on." The women who helped her inspired Dawn to do the same for others.

Finding Strength and Unexpected Blessings After Cancer

Cancer also changed the way Dawn approached her life and her business. During her treatment, another survivor named Sue shared advice that Dawn initially couldn't imagine believing: "Watch for the blessings that come with a cancer diagnosis.” At the time, Dawn wondered how anything about cancer could possibly feel like a blessing. Years later, she understood what Sue meant.

Her experience changed how Dawn and her husband looked at everyday life. Small challenges became less important. Simple moments—a beautiful morning on the deck, a starry night, time with friends and family—became more meaningful.

It also changed how she led her salon. Dawn says her cancer experience gave her a deeper sense of purpose and influenced how she interacted with her salon "tribe," emphasizing kindness, love and service to others.

A New Berlin Salon Giving Back to Its Community

For Dawn, Living Well Beyond Cancer is deeply personal.

It's a way to honor the memories of people who supported her during her own breast cancer journey, including her mother-in-law, Gail, who was experiencing breast cancer at the same time, and Sue, whose words stayed with Dawn long after Sue's own journey ended.

It's also why Breast Cancer awareness remains an important part of the culture at Hair Solutions Salon & Spa in New Berlin, WI.

Each September & October, Pink Hair extensions become much more than a fun pop of color.

They're a conversation starter. They're a reminder to pay attention to your health, get your mammogram because early diagnosis saves lives.

And they're a way for a local salon and the surrounding New Berlin and Southeastern Wisconsin community to come together for something bigger than beauty. Enhance your style and show off your Pink Hair!

The Moment That Reminded Dawn Why She Keeps Going

After nearly two decades of fundraising and community involvement, Dawn has accumulated countless meaningful memories. One, however, stands out. She once worked with a high school senior who had been diagnosed with Breast Cancer and needed a long-hair wig. The experience broke Dawn's heart—but it also reminded her exactly why she continues this work.

It brought her back to her "WHY."

Behind every fundraiser, Pink Hair extension and donation is a real person navigating a life-changing diagnosis. That's why, after 18 years, Dawn continues.

Dawn's Message to Someone Finishing Cancer Treatment

When asked what she would tell someone completing cancer treatment today, Dawn's message centers on caring for yourself, eating well, getting plenty of sleep, seeking reliable guidance and remembering that there can be life beyond treatment.

"Take good care of yourself, eat well, exercise, seek advice that will serve you well. I am an 18-year survivor. There is life after breast cancer."

She also encourages survivors to follow the recommendations of their medical teams and empower themselves with knowledge. For Dawn, her experience is proof that life's most difficult chapters can sometimes create an entirely new sense of purpose.

As she puts it: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

Extend Awareness With Hair Solutions Salon & Spa

For nearly two decades, Hair Solutions Salon & Spa in New Berlin, Wisconsin has used beauty as a way to bring people together, raise breast cancer awareness and support cancer survivorship in the local community.

What started with a few strands of Pink Hair in 2008 became a movement that reached Salons throughout Southeastern Wisconsin—and a mission Dawn continues today.

This October, when you see Pink Hair extensions at Hair Solutions, remember what they represent:

Awareness. Community. Survivorship. Hope.

And above all, the belief that when a community comes together, a small idea can make a very big difference.