Teens with cancer learn valuable life lessons while getting makeovers

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - Wish Upon A Teen is a new partnership between a non-profit and Bay Area hospitals.

Wish Upon A Teen, based in Michigan, held a special spa day in San Francisco Wednesday to help girls who have life-threatening illnesses rebuild their self-esteem.

The event was held at Blow Dry Bar on Union Street.  It was a day for the girls and their mothers.

"It's a new experience. I feel privileged, “says 16-year -old Isabella Medeiros of Fairfield.

She said this is the first time she's ever had her hair done.  She's in remission from leukemia.

"I feel a lot better today. I don't get headaches any more. The only downfall is I have memory loss," says Isabella.
But it was a day at the salon, and a memorable one, in contrast to spending seven months in the hospital, missing out on school, football games and all the activities her friends enjoyed.

She’s learning to cope with her illness.

"The fear of losing my life, all the symptoms of the chemo, the headaches,   diabetes, pneumonia; just everything crashing in," says Isabella.

Wish Upon A Teen's mission is to bring comfort during a time when these teens often feel isolated.

"Going out and getting your hair done, getting your makeup done is one of the staples of being a teenager. We bring together a small group of teens within the San Francisco area to meet each other and to know they're not alone," says Nancy Sovran, the nonprofit's executive director.

This occasion offers a sense of normalcy. 13-year-old Zoe Ross of San Bruno has Type 1 diabetes.
　
"I was really shocked. I didn't know what to do. I was scared," says Zoe.

Her body cannot produce insulin so she has to be careful about what she eats and when.

Her mother describes her fears for her daughter's medical condition.

"They call it dead in bed because your blood sugar can drop so low that you can just die in bed," says Christiaan Ross, Zoe's mother.

Mom says she has many sleepless nights monitoring her daughter.
Both say a makeover brings a renewed confidence and strengthens their hope for the future.

"It's changed by life. It made me look at life different, how I should live my life," says Zoe.

Both teens tell KTVU they've learned an important lesson through their illnesses; live life to the fullest and appreciate what you have.