Cornerback Brandon Carr Distributes HOPE Kits & Wigs
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Carr lifted the spirits of women receiving breast cancer treatment at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center today, with a special visit that included fellowship, the distribution of HOPE Kits, and the presentation of custom-designed, natural hair wigs for three women.
Carr’s mother, Kathy Carr, died of breast cancer at the age of 59 in 2014 following a long battle with the disease. Carr spent a lot of time with each patient after speaking about losing his mother, whom he said was everything to him.
“She was my rock, and it took me some time to get here to this point where I could stand here in front of you and talk about her without getting the floor all wet from crying,” Carr said at the event.
The kits come from the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s HOPE Kit program. The kits are filled with items to comfort and encourage patients undergoing breast cancer treatment, including fuzzy socks, tea, lotion and educational resources.
A hair restoration expert joined Carr for the special visit and brought along the custom wig and fitted one of the patients. She then styled her hair. Susan, the patient, was laughing as she brushed hair away from her forehead and exclaimed, “Oh I have hair in my eyes.”
Another breast cancer patient who was receiving her final radiation treatment that day said she knows Carr’s mother must be “shining down and so proud of her son.”
Two more patients received custom wigs at the Ravens’ Owings Mills complex later on Oct. 29. At the complex, Baltimore Ravens players and representatives from the National Breast Cancer Foundation assembled 150 additional kits for breast cancer patients at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center.
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About MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center is a not-for-profit 353-bed community teaching hospital located in the White Marsh section of eastern Baltimore County, Maryland. MedStar Franklin Square provides many medical and healthcare services, including a broad range of healthcare specialties, advanced technologies and treatments not traditionally found at community hospitals. The hospital is ranked third in admissions among all Maryland hospitals and our Emergency Department treats more than 80,000 patients annually. MedStar Franklin Square is accredited by the Joint Commission and certified as a Primary Stroke Center and has earned some of the nation’s most prestigious quality awards including Magnet Designation for excellence in nursing, the Excellence Award for Quality Improvement from the Delmarva Foundation and inclusion in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospital specialty ranking for four consecutive years. With more than 3,300 employees, MedStar Franklin Square is one of the largest employers in Baltimore County. Visit medstarfranklin.org for more information.