One Woman’s Hair-Raising Plan

Tess Hrezo (née de las Alas), MS, OTR-L, is an Occupational Therapist at St. Clair Health who is also a Pediatric Therapist at UPMC Children’s Hospital.

In May of 2022 she was planning an October wedding—had literally just sent out Save The Date cards—when everything changed.

“I had lost a friend to breast cancer and was acutely aware that it affects one in eight women during their lifetime,” she says. “I also believed: this could never happen to me.”

Early in her own breast cancer journey, Tess met with Vincent E. Reyes, Jr., MD, Chief of Hematology & Medical Oncology at St. Clair Health who also serves as Chief Medical Officer at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.

“Give me a year, and I’ll give you a lifetime,” she says, the remembered words now beaming out like a vow. “Right from the beginning, Dr. Reyes had a plan.”

With no family history of breast cancer or associated lifestyle habits, the diagnosis in itself was unexpected. What followed over the course of the next year of great change: new elements that Tess, her care team, plus family and friends anticipated together.

As part of her message of hope and breast cancer survivorship, Tess is particularly proud of the quality of life she maintained throughout her treatment, aided by the use of Cold Capping—a scalp-cooling therapy utilized to help reduce hair loss—during the chemotherapy stage.

“Successful women can continue being successful—even if they get cancer,” Tess says. “I want to share my story to help erase the stigma around being sick, because when you don’t have hair it’s easy for people to see. But you can still have a life while you’re going through treatment—look at me, I got married! Keeping my hair helped me to have a positive attitude and outlook on the treatment.”

She’s equally grateful to the St. Clair Health Foundation, which paid for her Cold Cap.

Melissa Marion, CFRE, Director of Development & Government Relations at St. Clair Health, notes that the primary goal of the Foundation is to support patients in need with items just like this.

“There are several ways to become involved and even personalize your gifts—as specific as St. Clair’s funds for Breast Care or Oncology and more,” she says. “Whether you’re looking to attend a fundraising event or explore planned giving, Tess is a wonderful example of how every gift truly matters.”

Dr. Reyes adds, “It’s often the little things that make a huge difference—and that’s bigger than cancer.”

To learn more about how you can donate to the St. Clair Health Foundation, click here.

To see what Tess experienced on her breast cancer journey, click here to watch.