A center for hope

Before his diagnosis, Bradley was a typical fourth-grader at Wisconsin Heights Elementary School. He lived at home in Mazomanie, Wis., with his parents, Mark and Claudette, who described him as healthy and happy. Bradley’s only symptoms of illness were a rash on his ankle and a few bruises.

The rash, called petechiae, turned out to be a symptom of acute myeloid leukemia. Soccer and play practices faded into the background, and the Behlings set up a new home at the children’s hospital.

They spent the first 34 days at the hospital, until Bradley had a one-week break from chemotherapy. The trip home did not last long, however, and as the rest of his classmates began fifth grade, he prepared for his third round of chemotherapy on Sept. 12.

“As far as his spirits, he has not complained about anything,” Claudette says. “He has just been a trooper through all of this. It is very hard to watch him go through it. I wish I could switch places with him. I go day by day and always wish and pray that nothing goes wrong.”

Some patients discover the service through the hospital’s Child Life program, which works closely with patients to ensure their hospital stay goes well. If a patient struggles with appearance changes, Child Life suggests the center.

“The majority who come in here are self-conscious,” Machotka says. “The reason I usually see them is because they are having difficulty with some aspect of their treatment or recovery.”

Child Life recommended the center to the Behlings in July. At first, Machotka did not know if she could find a wig for Bradley but ended up gathering three styles. He chose the one most similar to his natural hair color and began to feel like his old self again.

Machtoka says the greatest reward of her job comes when patients, like Bradley, truly improve their self-confidence and feel satisfied with their new look.

A perfect fit

When Machotka saw the job opening at the Positive Image Center, she applied immediately. The job blended all of her previous experiences and passions into one. Machotka worked as a cosmetologist for 25 years and a surgical technician before taking a job at a pediatric clinic.

“With my background in a cosmetic field as well as my medical background, it felt like a great fit for me,” Machotka says. “Also being a mother of a daughter and son, it has helped give me a greater appreciation of what they are encountering with their peers and dealing with self-image.”

Females make up 70 percent of her patients, but she gives many haircuts to male patients. Each day is a different day at the image center, and Machotka never knows what to anticipate.

“What I would expect certain patients to select turned out to be very different … that’s what I love about this job – nothing is routine, nothing is assumed. It is very individual,” Machotka says.

Kaminski says the hospital sends an evaluation to families, and the ones who use the Positive Image Center give it a high score.

“Children who have the most traumatic experience or most physical change in their appearance, they are really benefiting from this,” Kaminski says. “Debi does not have repeaters, which gives indication they were totally satisfied.”

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