In the Loop: Makeover is good medicine for young cancer patient

As a professional makeup artist, Adrian Rios is used to working in a variety of settings, from fashion shows and speaking events to photoshoots and television interviews. But one day last month, he set up shop in a rather unusual place, even for him: a waiting room outside the Proton Beam Therapy Program on Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus.

Adrian was there to meet Clarissa Sanchez, a 15-year-old beauty and fashion enthusiast receiving treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma. It had been a while since Clarissa had much to smile about, and Rosie Lerma, a patient experience coordinator at Mayo, hoped a makeover might change that. After learning about Clarissa's love of makeup, Rosie reached out to Adrian — who happens to be her son — and asked him to take on this very special assignment.

Adrian readily accepted. And on Feb. 8, he and Clarissa "had a conversation through makeup," Adrian tells us. "We laughed, shared experiences, and chatted about different makeup looks we love." As they talked, Adrian delivered his own kind of medicine, applying makeup, and recreating the brows and lashes that chemotherapy had taken away. Read the rest of Clarissa's story.
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This story originally appeared on the In the Loop blog.