VIDEO: Celebrating 1000th Cancer Wig Giveaway

When fighting cancer, patients often loose their hair due to chemotherapy. It's a side effect that can have a big emotional impact.

Tonight we find out how free wigs are giving patients the motivation to keep going.

"This year I turned 50, so I had my bucket list of things to do and fortunately I went in and had my colonoscopy," said Pam Mathison, Cancer Patient.

2010 marked a big year for Pam Mathison. But it was this colonoscopy that changed this mother of two's life. Pam and her family found out she had colon cancer.

"It felt surreal. It felt like it wasn't me actually that they were talking about," said Mathison.

It was only a matter of time until Pam started chemotherapy.

"I started loosing my hair quickly," said Mathison.

So she turned to one place where she knew she could receive a free wig-Bloom the Boutique at Sanford Cancer Center.

"It's fun and it just makes you feel good, it really does," said Mathison.

But Pam is just one of many who have received a free wig. Over the past four years 1,000 women sat in this same chair-getting fit for their new wig. Hopefully giving them the confidence to keep fighting.

"Before you know it they're laughing. It's their time to forget that they were battling cancer a few minutes ago," said Donna Harrison, Bloom the Boutique.

Donna Harrison helps cancer patients find their perfect look and says a wig can go a long way in the fight against cancer.

"If you get depressed things are so much worse than if your having fun," said Harrison.

And Pam agrees. She says when life changes in a heartbeat, knowing who you are makes a huge difference.

"It is nice to have that reflection of yourself in the mirror and you're like, oh yeah, that's who I am, that's how I feel," said Mathison.

Wigs are provided at no cost to cancer patients by a grant made possible by the Sanford Health Foundation.