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Hospital Angels

Pair Provides Beauty Treatment For Patients

KATHY WATERS/Highlands Today

From left: Florida Hospital Lake Placid patient Marilyn Reeves gets a mini-makeover from volunteers Judy Haney and Mara Trumbo on Wednesday.

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By MANDY SHEETS | Highlands Today

Published: November 15, 2007

"I'm a mess," Marilyn Reeves said wearily from her bed Wednesday morning at Florida Hospital Lake Placid as the Angel Hair duo walked into her room.

"That's why we are here," Judy Haney told her. "To make you beautiful."

Every Wednesday, Haney and her partner, Mara Trumbo, stroll through the halls of the hospital with their cart of beauty supplies, looking for patients who want some sprucing up.

Haney shampoos, cuts and styles the hair while Trumbo gives a manicure. They even have a special shampoo that doesn't require rinsing –– it lathers up like shampoo and then dries with a towel.

After lying in a hospital bed for a few days, Reeves said she loved the feeling of clean hair.

"I've never had this kind of treatment before," Reeves said as the women went to work on her hair and nails. "It's like it's my birthday or like I'm a movie star."

Reeves, who checked into the hospital Tuesday with a recurring case of pneumonia, said she doesn't have money to go to a salon and instead has her neighbor cut her locks.

Reeves' hospital room sounded like a regular salon as the women talked about everything from the weather to their favorite recipes.

"Sometimes people treat their hair dressing salon like a confessional," Trumbo said. "People tell us things they wouldn't tell their best friends."

Reeves enjoyed the company as much as the free salon services.

"I used to work at restaurants, so I like to be with people," Reeves said. "I love to talk to people and hear their stories."

The 50-bed hospital keeps the Angel Hair duo plenty busy with "appointments" for four hours every Wednesday.

"The nurses just ask their patients if they want the services, and, if they do, we go see them," Haney said.

With the winter residents in town and hospital admittance on the increase, Haney said they are even more booked this time of year.

"It's hard to say no, so I usually come in early to do a few more," said Haney, who has been volunteering there for two years.

Trumbo, who has been volunteering at the hospital for a year, will be moving to Tennessee in a few months, and the hospital is looking for a replacement to help her out, perhaps a hairdresser or someone attending beauty school.

Trumbo said she is going to miss working with Haney and all the patients they meet.
"I love the smiles and the thank yous," Trumbo said. "Everyone is always so appreciative of what we do."
"You are angels," Reeves told them after seeing herself in the mirror.

After what Reeves described as, "the best 30 minutes of my day," the women packed up their cart and moved on to the next room, leaving Reeves feeling renewed.

"I'm not going to lay down because I don't want to mess up my hair," she said, sounding much perkier than before the new do.

"It's a great feeling to leave them smiling," Haney said. "They say they feel like a completely new person, and that makes it all worth it.

For information about volunteering at Florida Hospital, call 402-3368.

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