Preserving Dignity During Chemotherapy – Paxman Cooling System Now Available at Memorial
In April 2023, Aimee Robertson, President of the Memorial Hospital Foundation, received news that would change her life: she was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer. Like many facing this difficult journey, Aimee found herself grappling with numerous challenges and uncertainties. She sought any form of control she could find.
One significant aspect she could influence was her hair loss, a common and distressing side effect of chemotherapy. For Aimee, retaining her hair meant preserving a part of her identity and maintaining a sense of normalcy for herself and her family.
“When I found out that there was an option that would maybe allow me to keep my hair and my identity during my chemotherapy treatment, I was all in on that,” Aimee reflects.
Discovering the Paxman Cooling System
“I learned about the system initially through my friend Sandi Anderson at a Carter’s Champions breast cancer event. Sandi is the wife of Roy Anderson, one of the Foundation’s board members. She had used Paxman at MD Anderson. I said, ‘Sandi, you look great. You still have hair!’ And she was telling me all about it. I thought then this is something that we really need to get for our patients, and it’s worth noting that all of the major players in the cancer industry use this system.” The widespread adoption of Paxman by leading cancer treatment centers gave Aimee confidence in its efficacy and safety.
The Impact on Personal Identity and Family
For Aimee, the ability to retain her hair during chemotherapy was more than cosmetic — it was a crucial aspect of maintaining a sense of normalcy, especially as a mother of three young children. “I felt like being able to use this system while I was going through chemo allowed me to keep my identity. I wanted my children to not be scared of me and not know that anything was wrong with me.”
Aimee also mentions how important privacy was to her. “I wanted to be able to tell my story on my own terms when I wanted to do it. I didn’t want my illness to define me. Being able to keep the way I look on a day-to-day basis was important to me. I never skipped a beat because I felt like I didn’t look in the mirror and see a sick person. I looked in the mirror and saw myself.”
How it Works
“The best thing about this system is its simplicity,” Aimee shares. “I am not from a medical background and even I can understand this. You use the Paxman cap while you are getting your chemo infusion. It cools your hair follicles down to where it restricts blood flow and the chemo does not reach your hair follicle.”
The treatment is administered by a trained medical professional and the cap is attached to a system that circulates coolant liquid around the inner cap, reducing the temperature of the patient’s scalp. This system does not use dry ice. It’s important to mention that results vary and are dependent upon several factors including your chemotherapy drug regimen and dose, cap size and fit, and each person’s unique response to chemotherapy drugs and scalp cooling.
Bringing Paxman to Memorial
Aimee’s positive experience with Paxman inspired her to advocate for its availability at Memorial. “I knew that this is something that our patients would need. I also knew that people would drive here to get this.” Her determination to provide this service stemmed from a deep commitment to patient care. “Kent Nicaud, Memorial Health System President & CEO, always talks about how we have to do the right thing for our patients. And I truly felt like this is the right thing to offer for our patients.”
The Family Behind Paxman
Paxman is a family-owned company with a deeply personal connection to its mission. “Their mother, Sue Paxman, was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of decades ago and she used a very early form of cold capping at first and it wasn’t successful for her. But as luck would have it, her husband was in a commercial refrigeration-type business. He knew that he could make this technology a lot easier on people.” The Paxman family’s dedication has made this life-changing technology accessible to many, and they continue to operate with a patient-first approach, offering the system to hospitals at no charge. The only cost for using the system is the patient cooling cap, however, Paxman and the Memorial Hospital Foundation offer financial assistance to help patients purchase the cooling caps.
Making a Difference
Aimee’s journey and advocacy have already started to make an impact. “I’ve had people contacting me about this because they hear through friends that I didn’t lose my hair.” The Memorial Hospital Foundation is committed to helping patients who cannot afford the cooling caps, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to access this incredible system. “Every single person deserves a shot at maintaining their hair and their dignity throughout this entire process.”
A Future of Hope
As Memorial begins offering the Paxman Cooling System, Aimee envisions a future where more patients can benefit from this innovative technology. “We’re starting with just one of the Paxman systems and it’s going to be at the main campus at our infusion clinic in the Medical Office Building. But we also have two other infusion clinics. I’m making it my mission to offer it at both of those locations as well.”
Aimee’s experience and dedication to bringing the Paxman Cooling System to Memorial Hospital exemplify the power of personal experience in driving meaningful change. She shares, “I always say that my friends were so amazing to me throughout my entire cancer journey, and I would never be able to adequately repay them and how wonderful they were to me. If I can work to make it easier on any of them in the future or any of their family in the future, then it would be a small way of helping to repay them going forward.”
If you have questions about if you are eligible to use the Paxman Cooling System at Memorial or if you need financial assistance for the cooling cap, call (228) 575-2978. To learn more about how the Paxman Cooling System works, visit coldcap.com.