For me, one of those people was a client.

She was more than a client — she was a friend, a radiant spirit, and a source of strength for the ages. For five years, she came to see me for her nails, but our time together was never just about polish or manicures. It was about laughter, sharing stories, and hearing her life lessons that made me a better woman.

When she was diagnosed again with breast cancer after previous battles, she faced the journey with the same grace and fierceness she had always carried. She fought with courage, but the treatments took their toll.

One day, she called me and asked if I could come and do her nails. While I worked, she spoke words I will never forget:

“I feel like I’m already being forgotten, and I don’t want to be forgotten.”

I tried to encourage her, telling her that she and her presence could never be forgotten — and that she would win this battle to. I didn’t know it would be our last appointment together.

I remember holding her hands gently, knowing that this simple act of painting her nails was so much more than beauty. Looking back, I now realize it was a final gift — a way to honor her dignity and say, You are still you. You are still beautiful.

She passed away. The memory of that day has never left me. It reminded me that beauty is not vanity — it’s a form of care, a way of loving, and sometimes, a way of saying goodbye.

Today, through the Spark Beauty Fund, I honor her memory by providing services to women who are walking similar paths — women battling cancer, healing from surgery, or reclaiming their confidence after loss. These are the very services she would have supported with her whole heart. She believed in the power of beauty to restore the spirit, even in life’s hardest moments.

This beauty was one of my biggest supporters, even allowing me to use her as a model and share her story — a story that helped me win a national scholarship for the Vidal Sassoon Academy. I hope to continue that legacy by being the biggest supporter and advocate for my community.

Every appointment we provide, every smile we help bring back to the mirror, is part of her legacy. Her story reminds us that even in the face of loss, there is love. And love — just like beauty — has the power to spark hope.