Illawarra cancer group supports need to wear headscarf

An Illawarra cancer support group understands the angst of a mother battling cancer who felt humiliated when told to remove her head covering for a driver’s licence photo.

The group, which has provided free-of-charge turbans to cancer patients for the past 25 years, says treatment and associated hair loss causes distress for sufferers and the community needs to show compassion.

“A lot of women are quite embarrassed that they have no hair and they certainly wouldn’t want a driver’s licence photo of them with no hair when they might be well and look different in six months,” Illawarra Cancer Carers spokesman Keith Wilson said.

“Most ladies wear the scarves or turbans, there’s the odd one who is happy to go without, but those feeling comfortable bald are few and far between,” Mr Wilson said.

Wollongong mother-of-four Toula Spears, who was wearing a scarf to hide her hair loss caused by four rounds of chemotherapy, was “humiliated” when a Unanderra motor registry staff member asked her to uncover her head for the photo.

It was only when her husband Kane stepped in – suggesting that a headscarf would be allowed on religious grounds, so why not medical – that the staff member and her supervisor reluctantly allowed her to keep the scarf on.

Mrs Spears said she was shaken by the recent experience as she had phoned Roads and Maritime Services before the visit and been assured she could cover her head.

Online Comments

Here’s what Mercury readers have said on Facebook:

  • I have breast cancer and went through chemo and several places in the Berkeley and Warrawong areas asked me to remove my beanie or turban even when I explained it’s winter I have no hair due to chemo. At one place I actually had two men defend me because I was asked to leave because I refused to remove my head wear. My argument Muslim women can wear their head wear including the one that covers face nothing will be said a cancer patient wearing beanie turban whatever gets asked to remove it. I think people need to wake up. Cancer patients aren’t wearing the head wear as a fashion or religious statement they are wearing it because they have no hair and you get bloody cold.
  • Disgraceful!!! Where’s your compassion Unanderra Motor Registry ... hopefully you or someone close to you NEVER has to go through cancer it’s the hardest thing someone has to face and nobody should be treated this way.
  • Not exactly the same, but I have been refused entry to places for wearing a hat. On occasions I have severe photophobia and without the hat as protection I am blind and the light can trigger painful muscle spasms.
  • My wife went through a similar thing at Sydney domestic airport while she was in treatment. This is completely disrespectful and disgraceful.
  • Public servants always have difficulty with common sense.
  • This is so disgusting. When does common sense kick in for some people ... obviously never. I am so glad her husband stepped in and didn’t back down. I wish her all the best with her cancer fight. Stay strong.
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