With an eighth birthday on Friday and back-to-school in full swing, it was meant to be an exciting week for young Sage.
But a recent break-in at a Vancouver wig shop has transformed it into a week of disappointment and heartbreak.
Sage has been battling cancer for three-and-a-half years. In that time, she’s lost her hair three times.
Three-and-a-half weeks ago, she was fitted for her first-ever wig, a dirty-blond piece with curls that matched her own natural locks.
Last Friday, that custom work-in-progress was stolen from Eva and Company wigs on West Broadway, along with about 150 other pieces, many meant for kids at BC Children’s Hospital.
The wigs are made from real human hair and valued at about $2,500 a piece. They also take up to seven weeks to produce.
“Why would somebody do something like this? It’s pretty heartless,” her mother, Lynn-Anne Graham told Global News.“It’s kind of a disgusting thing to do really.”
WATCH: Valuable wigs for B.C. cancer patients stolen
Graham said for Sage, losing her hair has never been a big deal in the past, but now that she’s a little older and heading back to school, things have changed.
“Last year, Sage had lots of hair and got lots of compliments on her hair all the time, and so as a little girl who’s about to turn eight years old, how she looks is more important to her than before,” said Graham.
“Especially to go back to school and to see her friends, and she looks so different. So she was looking forward to having a wig so she could look and feel more like herself.”
What’s more, with the treatment she’s currently receiving, Sage hadn’t expected to lose her hair this time. When she did, it was an added emotional blow, her mom said.
Investigators say the thieves managed to get into the wig shop through a neighbouring business undergoing renovations, and that the investigation continues.
READ MORE: Salon that makes wigs for cancer patients burglarized for fifth time
“It’s possible that someone is in possession of one or more of these wigs and that they don’t know they’re stolen and that they were meant for sick children,” said Vancouver police Const. Jason Robillard.
“We need people to do the right thing and come forward with information.”
The store’s owner says they’ve been overwhelmed with offers of help, and Graham said a replacement for Sage’s wig is on the way. But even so, it could take up to two months to craft a new one.
WATCH: Salon that makes wigs for cancer patients burglarized for fifth time
She said for the time being, the shop is already scrambling just to communicate with all of their clients — each of whom are dealing with the same disappointment that Sage is.
In the meantime, she’s hoping someone will see the news and do the right thing.
“A wig is a small thing, but it could make a very big difference to a child who’s already having to face so much.”
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