Everyone that I came across that knew Tiffany looked to her as inspiration,” says Tracey Gardone. Tracey and his wife Cheryl are the founders of The Hat Project. The Hat Project started as a celebration of his daughter Tiffany’s life and has developed into an organization dedicated to providing head covering to cancer patients and supporting cancer groups.
Tiffany first became ill in the late fall 2008. After a round of testing and medications with no results, she received a CT scan of her chest. There was a mass in her chest and she needed a biopsy. After the first biopsy, they believed she had Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. A second biopsy was completed, and they officially diagnosed her with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Tiffany began a regimen of ABVD chemo drugs every two weeks for eight months. This was her first round of losing her hair and her collection of fashionable hats. In January 2010, they considered Tiffany cancer free; she would deliver her first child that November.
While completing dental school, Tiffany had a second child, and then got a job as a dental hygienist in Waynesburg. But in April 2015, she received bad news: triple negative breast cancer. She had a double mastectomy, chemo and radiation, and multiple surgeries. In the summer of 2018, she began experiencing headaches and lost mobility on her left side. The breast cancer had metastasized to her brain.
Tiffany started full brain radiation. She received additional radiation for cancer in her spine, and chemo infusions followed. She also began a new immunotherapy that had not yet been FDA approved.
As Tiffany’s illness progressed, she kept important items close by—especially her head coverings. And as her eyesight weakened, it became harder for her to keep track of the items. She would always ask her dad, “Where is my hat? What did you do with my hat?”
Eventually, Tracey had a moment where he realized Tiffany was always misplacing her hat, and that he had written a song titled “What Didjya Do With Muh Hat?” many years ago. Each time she would ask for her hat, it reminded Tracey of his unfinished song.
It appeared the new drug was working as Tiffany recovered, and by April, the cancer in her body was gone. But the drug did not cross the blood-brain barrier, and the cancer in her brain did not resolve. Tiffany passed away on December 11, 2019.
After her passing, Tracey reflected on how much the song was like Tiffany and her approach to life: fun, exciting, and lively. He finished the song and dedicated it to his daughter. As a bonus, they would donate funds raised by the song to cancer causes.
Tracey worked together with area musicians to complete the song, and they gathered at the Vault recording studio in Pittsburgh to complete the recording. They sent the master to Flying Scooter Productions in Pittsburgh. They compiled the completed video for The Hat Project with pictures of Tiffany and the song. The American Cancer Society promoted the song on its network.
The Hat Project began collecting donations to support their mission. They received many donations from organizations and people in the area, including generous donations from First Federal S&L of Greene County and individuals.
“We’re preparing to complete our first order of hats, and after the hats are ordered, we expect about a four-to-six-week lead time before they are in hand,” Tracey says. Once in hand, the hats will be provided to community cancer patients and gift boxes with free hats may be placed in area cancer treatment centers.
“I especially want to reach out to the disadvantaged community members going through cancer treatment, those that can’t afford head coverings.”
If you are beginning treatment or know someone that is, please reach out to the Hat Project via their website at trgardone.com. Also contact them if you are interested in collaborating with the project, donating, or providing hats.
