Giving back to those who have given so much

Despite the dismal circumstances that brought her to the hair salon on Friday, Ashley Neisess and her family were still able to keep their afternoon jovial for the most part.

Neisess, 15, made the decision to have 8 inches of her long, blond hair cut to donate to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which was created to make wigs from human hair for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment.

Neisess' mother, Sonja Neisess, 45, is battling pancreatic cancer.

Sonja was diagnosed in December 2006 with ovarian cancer, according to Rebecca Colley, Sonja's sister-in-law and Ashley's aunt. A 12-pound tumor was removed from Sonja's body in December 2006. However, when Sonja went back for a check-up in March 2007 it was discovered that she was misdiagnosed and she had pancreatic cancer, not ovarian cancer, Colley continued. Two-thirds of Sonja's pancreas was removed.

Sonja battling cancer at such a young age was like "opening a scab for all the siblings," Colley said. Sonja's mother died at 38 years old of cancer.

Ashley cutting her hair to be made into wigs for women battling cancer, just like her mother, is "a little girls way to reach out," Colley admitted. "She feels this is something she can do. It makes you feel very helpless to watch someone go through this."

Colley, Sonja's sister Renee Tornello, and Ashley's cousin Alyssa Colley, 14, joined her at Classy Escape Hair Salon on Friday in Libby. Tornello and her family traveled from Jacksonville, Fla. to be with her sister for the Christmas holiday and Colley, Alyssa and their family traveled from Salt Lake City, Utah to join Sonja and the rest of Sonja's siblings and their families.

One of Sonja's best friends, Kathy Ague, is a stylist at the salon. The two have been friends for over 25 years and Ague has watched Ashley grow up. Sonja was Ague's Avon lady when Ague lived in Troy and that's how the two met. Sonja would visit Ague every week.

"I didn't think Avon ladies came every week, but I think we both needed each other at the time," Ague said.

A friendship was born and a few years ago the two women joined the Treasure Tones, a popular singing group known throughout Lincoln County.

While Ague cut Ashley's long hair to donate to women stricken with cancer, she and Ashley chatted about memories and the goings-on of their daily lives. Ague reminisced about Ashley's mom and the birth of Ashley's younger brother Adam, 12. The two joked that due to Adam's long locks, maybe he should donate his hair too.

Meanwhile, Ashley's aunts and cousin stood by and gave her support for the altering look she was recieving in the name of helping women like her mother.

"Everyone has given so much to me and my family," Ashley said. "I just wanted to give something back."

Ashley's mom wasn't always so sick. Born in Indiana, Sonja and Colley used to play Barbies together, Colley said. Sonja and her family moved to Libby when she was 7 years old. She married her high school sweetheart, Joe. They've been married for 27 years and together for 30.

Sonja owned Cabinet Books and Music until she sold the business in fall 2006, Colley said. She was also a part of the Libby Chamber of Commerce and the Libby Revitalization organization until she became too sick to continue, Colley explained.