What do you do when you are told you have breast cancer and as a result of the treatments, you are going to lose your hair? What do you do when you search high and low for the perfect head covering and you can't find one that is just right for you? If you were Barbara Manni of Cranston and her sister, Lauren Paige of Sturbridge, Mass., you would design your own and start a company called KareChiefs.

Shortly after finding a lump in her breast, Barbara Manni was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer and was told she needed chemotherapy and radiation as a part of her treatment. She was also told she was going to lose her long, blonde hair.

“Hearing the word chemotherapy was scary enough, but then hearing I was going to lose my hair just brought me to tears,” said Manni. “How was I going to get through this?”

Up to that point, Manni had already been subjected to numerous tests and a lumpectomy. Now the next six months of her life would be planned out for her. Manni knew this was going to be an incredible challenge of strength, character and willingness to fight back.

“At the very beginning I made a plan to take it slow, face the challenges as they came and be strong for my children Joe and Cassie and my husband John,” she said. “I made sure to laugh, smile and be myself. I learned what I already knew – it is much easier and less exhausting to be happy!”

One of the hardest challenges came right away. She knew she was going to lose her hair 10 to 12 days after the first chemo treatment. The day of her first treatment, Manni ran out and bought a wig.

“It was pretty and much like my own blonde hair, only there was much more of it, and I often found it hot and itchy,” said Manni. “I was not going to be able to wear this everyday. I tried traditional bandanas, but they did not cover my whole head. I could not find anything that fit my personality. My sister Lauren searched as well, only to come up empty-handed.”

Now running out of time, Manni started to panic.

“There were only a few days left before my hair was going to start falling out,” she recalled. “I remember running my fingers through my hair several times a day – a sort of test, if you will – to see how many strands would come out at a time. Each day more and more would come out.”

It was then that Manni decided to take control of the situation and design her own bandana/kerchief. She asked her sister Lauren to teach her to sew and together they created beautiful, comfortable, stylish head coverings for her to wear – what is now called the KareChief.

After receiving such wonderful comments about the kerchiefs, Manni and Paige decided to start their own business making their head coverings for adults and children. They called the scarves KareChiefs because they “Kare” enough to give back. A portion of the profits are donated to cancer-related organizations and charities. At this time, Manni is now cancer-free and has put all of her efforts into her new company.

Since their big debut last October at the Gloria Gemma Flames of Hope WaterFire, Manni and Paige have discovered that the KareChiefs have appealed to everyone, not just cancer patients. “We have people wearing them as neck scarves, headbands and as bandanas,” said Manni. “It’s remarkable.”

All KareChiefs sold at Salon 408, located at 408 Main St. in East Greenwich, will benefit the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Foundation, as well as those sold at The Atwood Avenue Pharmacy and Gift Shop in the Atwood Medical Building on Atwood Avenue in Johnston. All proceeds from the sales of KareChiefs at the Sheik Hair and Wig Salon, located at 1216 Atwood Ave. in Johnston, will benefit the American Cancer Society Action Network.

KareChiefs and “I Kare” Ware are also available in the Gloria Gemma Cotton Candy Boutique on Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence.

“It is amazing to us that from something so horrible came something so wonderful,” said Paige. “We are so grateful to be able to share our product with others.”

To view their products, visit their Web site at www.karechiefs.com. You can also contact them via e-mail at Lookgreat@karechiefs.com or call 480-9205.