When Rachel Mount, an active and seemingly healthy 23-year-old woman, was given a Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer diagnosis two days before leaving for law school, adversity flipped her world upside down. Cold cap therapy helped Rachel keep her hair and mental health during her treatment and recovery journey. Today she is the co-founder and director of the nonprofit CareFree Capping, which helps underfunded cancer patients receive the same cold cap treatment Rachel did to help keep hair during treatment and recovery.

Rachel's mom and stepdad have lived in Hidden Lake for four years, and she graduated from the University of Michigan in 2020. Her fascination with the brain, its science and psychology led her to major in neuroscience. Interestingly, she initially thought she wanted to do chemotherapy or get into pharmacy, as her grandpa taught at pharmacy school. Although Rachel loved learning about medicine, she knew the medical field wasn't for her. During her senior year, Rachel wanted to go abroad before grad school, but with her major, she couldn't because no one offered the courses she needed for neuroscience, and she pivoted toward law school. After deciding to pursue a law degree, Rachel used a "gap" year to finish her classes, take the LSAT and apply to schools and, upon completion, decided to book a volunteer trip to Costa Rica.

Rachel's grandparents love Costa Rica, and she studied Spanish and wanted to improve her language skills, so Costa Rica was her choice. She lived at a domestic animal shelter and sea turtle shelter and is a very passionate lover of all animals. Her two-month stay was extended to four months during COVID-19, but Rachel relished the opportunity to serve the community. After returning from Costa Rica, a week before going to law school, she woke up one day with severe chest pains in her heart, and since it was during the pandemic, Rachel figured she should go to the doctor. The pain and inflammation subsided, but a CAT scan showed her lymph nodes were eight times the typical size. St. Joe's did a biopsy, which returned positive for Hodgkin's lymphoma. And in one day and moment, Rachel's life changed, and significant adversity presented itself. She said, "Receiving treatment to battle the cancer was my No. 1 priority, but one of the most difficult aspects of my diagnosis was the prospect of losing my hair." 

She began applying her neuroscience education, researching and discovering cold capping. She was initially skeptical because no one mentioned it at St. Joe's or U of M Center, both renowned for cancer treatment. Could cold capping be safe and effective? Rachel discovered cold capping was initially used and developed for breast cancer/solid tumor patients, and there were no safety concerns, as she did not have cancer above the neck. Cold caps are a newer technology with FDA approval in 2015 and 2019. There are four leading brands; the one Rachel uses is not FDA approved, as it is not machine regulated. 

Rachel advocated for herself with doctors, who ultimately gave their blessing, although very skeptical about it. They considered it a waste of money and believed that she'd lose her hair within the first month, as chemo attacks all of your fast-growing cells and does not differentiate between cancer cells and healthy ones. How cold capping works is pretty simple. Place the ice pack at negative 34 degrees Celsius on your head and switch it out every 20 to 30 minutes. Blood flow to the scalp is restricted, which mitigates chemo getting into the hair follicles. Rachel used cold caps throughout treatment, but they can be a hassle, which is why not everyone does it. 

After her diagnosis, she took up a job at an animal shelter to stay busy and not allow chemo to rule her life. She also picked up a second job at Ann Arbor Distilling Company as a bartender/barback/all-around position. She loves the stress-free environment and people she works with and shares, "It been so fun to learn about craft cocktails and how we distill everything in-house from Michigan grains!" Rachel also dog walks, tutors and nannies for many Hidden Lake neighbors and beyond, as she loves working with kids. Her younger brother has autism, so special needs kids have a special place in her heart. In college, she worked for many special needs families in pediatric rehab as a volunteer and for work.

After Rachel's chemotherapy was complete, she still had all of her hair, blowing her doctor's minds! They now feel comfortable recommending it to all of their patients. Rachel shared, "I firmly believe that as a cancer patient, every single option that can provide mental and physical comfort during your journey should be made readily available and accessible. I believe that cold cap therapy can relieve a tremendous burden on young women's shoulders that, like myself, are diagnosed with a terrible disease too young." 

Cold capping is expensive, and Rachel is exceptionally grateful her family could be resourceful to afford the treatment, but not every young woman is so lucky. The monthly cost to rent or use cold caps ranges from $350 to $600, and insurance typically covers nada. Standard chemotherapy treatment for lymphoma is four to six months, making this technology out of reach for many people already drowning in hospital bills. She shares, "Keeping your hair can ultimately save your mental health, but if you don't have money to get through treatment comfortably, sometimes adding that expense can be more harmful. It's unfortunate, as I know that saving their hair can transform their cancer experience for many people, but they can't even consider it because of the financial burden. Cold cap therapy is such a simple technology. Yet, it profoundly impacted my cancer journey and positively affected those by my side, wishing to do anything to take the burden of six months of chemotherapy off my shoulders." Rachel shared, "Saving my hair wasn't what saved my life, but it saved my mental health, allowing me to defy odds during treatment and live a relatively normal life. Cold cap therapy let me see myself when I looked in the mirror and reminded me that this treatment time is finite in the grand scheme of life. 

When I asked Rachel what advice she has for anyone going through significant adversity, she shared the most profound advice and perspective. A mindset that will set anyone free: "When it comes to adversity in life, there is not one right thing anyone can do to get themselves through. I would say that being selfish is a good thing. Whatever you can do to keep your mind and body healthy is critical. Don't do anything for others when you're going through something challenging. It's your time to be selfish! I spent a lot of time exercising, working on my spirituality and cooking. I was doing things that brought me genuine happiness, and I wasn't focusing on pleasing other people. In this society, we usually spend a lot of energy living our lives to appease friends, family and strangers. It drains your energy faster than anything else; you live your life walking in your shadow, allowing others to control what you're doing. You'll never find happiness in that. Life is too short to live entirely for other people, and when you start living life on your terms in a way that brings you true happiness and doesn't cause harm to others, you'll start feeling better and get through things easier. This experience has pivoted me into being a very positive person. Looking at the bright side even when it was difficult because dwelling on things you can't change is a drain! Live your life, be true to yourself, stay positive and lean on the people you trust." 

Halfway through the treatment, Rachel and her mother discussed starting a charity, and once Rachel completed treatment, they submitted all federal and state paperwork for their nonprofit: Carefree Capping. The primary mission is to relieve the financial burden for young adults with lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy in Michigan who want to utilize cold cap therapy to save their hair and educate the public and medical professionals about this solution for their patients. Her mom supports her on the business side, as she was an entrepreneur and owned a retail store. Her younger brother, Gabe, is very supportive, and many friends and family want to be volunteers. She has big aspirations and sets the bar high for herself in everything she does because, she shares, "Life is too short not to!" She aspires to, in a short period, make a large-scale impact! She says, "I know that every act of generosity makes a difference and snowballs quickly. I have a lot of faith that [with] people seeing me go through this myself ... there will be a lot of support for it, and I am excited!"

Rachel is such an inspiring young woman with all she has overcome and all she is creating because of it. So happy to share that she has officially moved to Madison for law school and successfully launched her first fundraiser at Ann Arbor Distilling! Also, she is part of our writing team and will share delicious vegetarian recipes, precious pet stories and beyond!