I found out in 1999 that I had Hodgkin lymphoma.
At the time I didn't know the name of my illness, I didn't really understand what it meant.
I was 14 and I wasn't fully aware of what Hodgkin lymphoma is.
I remember there was a girl with me in the room, she had no hair,
and I think she'd been through the same process already, and she said,
'oh you're having chemo, you are going to lose all your hair.'
And when my mum came, I said that I think that the girl is really jealous of my hair,
and she's wished this really bad thing, [laughs] that she wants my hair to fall out.
This started playing on my mind and I remember a few days later,
I had a lovely doctor who suggested that perhaps it was a good idea to cut my hair shorter.
I insisted that 'no, that's not a good idea because I'm growing it at the moment, so I'd rather keep it as it is'
and I think it got to the point when my mum said that there is a possibility that I may lose my hair
so it will be easier for me to see my hair falling out when it's short,
rather than seeing it falling out in a larger volume.
When hair eventually started falling out, it was as if the world ended for me.
Being 14, and looking back, it wasn't the worst thing that happened to me during my illness,
and my time in the hospital.
But on that day and at that time it was the worst thing ever in my life and I burst into tears.
I remember I ran to the bathroom and I started pulling my hair.
I just wanted it all out it because when I woke up in the morning I saw my hair on the pillow.
Who helped me the most at that time, it was my brother who said be calm about it,
and he was joking with me and he gave me a lot of names of famous people
and actresses with bald heads or shaved heads.
He was really, really supportive and I really, now and back then, appreciate his support.
I also feel that this illness made me a stronger person.
Being only 14, losing hair, going through cancer in a small village in Poland wasn't easy
and sometimes I was very nervous, very sad and I was worried to go out,
even to my corner shop to do shopping because I didn't want anyone looking at me
but I knew deep down that I had to face it and I think because of that I became a stronger person.
So my husband worked in the wig industry for 15 years
and he noticed that there isn't really any alternative to wigs
and he heard a lot of complaints that the wigs could be too heavy or itchy or uncomfortable.
People didn't feel exactly very natural wearing them or were uncomfortable,
especially younger people, teenagers, and it's very difficult to put them on,
it feels like there is a lot of hair and a lot of volume.
So then he decided why not, using his expertise and of course my experience,
create our own brand of headwear for people with cancer and alopecia.
Looking back now, if I was going to give any advice to myself back then or to others:
never lose hope,
try to be positive,
take every day one day at a time,
let others help you,
and just be the same person, don't try to change because of the illness.
Always be the same person as you were before.
Don't let any bad news of cancer bring you down.
It's big news, but I'm just an example that we can get through this.
After a year being in the hospital,
I finished my degree, I ran 10k last year for other teenagers with cancer,
I am now pregnant, happily married, I have lived my life like any other person.
So life will and life goes on and don't worry about losing your hair - it will grow back [laughs].