Naples-based charity helping women with cancer one eyebrow at a time

Ten years, two breast cancer diagnoses.

‘I was really surprised that it did come back,” said Teresa Gershon.

In February, Gershon was declared cancer-free. Through it all, she maintained her determination and positivity.

“Lead, follow, or get out of the way. We are going to make sure we’re going to hit this hard, go in full and just fight it,” she said.

Gershon faced a double mastectomy, radiation and 12 weeks of chemotherapy, which could have meant losing her hair and eyebrows, but a cosmetic procedure helped her keep her identity: permanent eyebrow makeup.

“It was just really the saving grace that I needed. It allowed me the ability to just look in the mirror, feel whole, feel feminine, feel like a woman,” she explained.

Gershon got it done for free through the Naples-based Save The Brow Foundation started in November by Irina Cheva.

“Everyone talks about losing hair on the head and they educate patients on the wigs, but nobody talks about the brows,” said Cheva.

She has now helped 18 cancer patients, all with her own money, raised in part by sales of her book.

“It makes me feel fulfilled in the first place and makes me understand that I am here for a purpose,” Cheva said.

She wants to one day take her foundation worldwide with the help of more makeup artists who would get paid through the foundation.

The hope is for more cancer patients to feel whole.

“It was nice to be able to wake up every day and feel whole,” Gershon said.

If you’d like to donate to the Save The Brow Foundation, click here.