Shawna Mayberry, from Arlington, Texas, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, a week after retiring from a 30-year-long teaching career. Faced with cancer and chemotherapy, Shawna felt a sense of control over her treatment when she became one of the first patients to try Paxman scalp cooling in the United States, as part of the trial for FDA clearance.  Wanting to spread awareness and increase access of the treatment that brought her so much comfort, Shawna joined the team at Paxman as a patient liaison, helping people just like her to feel as normal as possible during chemotherapy. 

The first US Paxman Pioneer 

Shawna agreed to share some of her experiences with us as one of the first to trial the Paxman system and explain what scalp cooling did for her in a special recording of her survivor story.  

“I had a slice on control over my treatment,” Shawna said, reflecting on using the Paxman Scalp Cooling System during her six chemotherapy treatments at the Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, Dallas, Texas. She spoke to us about how the cold cap gives women facing cancer, as she did, the power to make a decision and the comfort of still looking like ourselves throughout treatment.  

“When we’re meeting with our friends or when we’re talking with people that we haven’t seen in a long time, it doesn’t look like we are sick,” she commented, “I even remember that was a comfort when I found out I had breast cancer. I saw a lot of people feeling really sorry for me… And I was the one that said to them, but I'm going to be in this trial so that I can possibly keep my hair!” 

Keeping her hair and some confidence 

Shawna had such a positive mindset when it came to her treatment. Recalling her first scalp cooling experience, Shawna has said: “I anxiously sat in a chair while the cap was placed on my head. Once turned on, I could feel the cold on my scalp. It graced me with comfort as it reminded me of the days I was on the swim team in Indiana - it was refreshing! I started calling my chemo treatments, ‘spa days’. Who would have thought?”  

Shawna retained about 70% of her hair during the scalp cooling trial. She described it as looking a little thinned, but regrowth started very quickly, and Shawna was soon able to continue her regular, daily routine.  

She recalls one interaction during a time when she accompanied her mother-in-law to a doctor’s appointment. Shawna told a receptionist she was going through chemotherapy, who didn’t believe her: 

“I said, I'm going through chemotherapy. And she said, no, you're not. And that surprised me. She said, no, you're not because you have your hair - kind of like she caught me - and that really hit me. But that is what people see when you don't have hair. They associate you with going through chemo. When you have hair, they think everything's normal.”  

 Joining Paxman as a Patient Liaison 

The Paxman system has been FDA cleared since 2017 and is now deployed in facilities all over the United States. Delighted with the results of scalp cooling and how it made her feel, Shawna has made it her mission to help others benefit from scalp cooling. She has been a valuable part of the team for many years, with real, lived experience, empathising with patients who are facing cancer and plays a crucial role as one of our patient liaisons. 

The empowering nature of scalp cooling, how it helps a patient look and feel normal during chemotherapy, is one of the main reasons Shawna wanted to join Paxman. The impact it had on her made her want to help other patients get access to the treatment. The huge impact scalp cooling had on her, and the big difference it makes to patients, drove Shawna to help others get access to the treatment, which leaves her feeling happy at the end of the day.  

We’re incredibly thankful to share Shawna’s experience and proud to have her as part of our team. Paxman employs several individuals within the company who have experienced cancer, chemotherapy and scalp cooling themselves. They know first-hand the concerns and anxiety that patients experience, along with the control, confidence and privacy that Paxman Scalp Cooling offers.