Beauty Bus Foundation gives patients and their caregivers professional treatment

Getting glammed up may seem fun and easy but when you are in ill health it's a different story. 

Beauty Bus Foundation provides free grooming and beauty treatments for patients and their caregivers.

While they do pop-ups all across southern California, they are also in Burbank every Wednesday at Disney Family Cancer Center.

For accountant Pualini "Lani" Ober a haircut by Beauty Bus is so much more.

"I had a stroke back in December and I was coming here for therapy," she said. 

A native of Hawaii, Lani said she had really long hair and with the stroke she just couldn't manage it.

She's come four times for a haircut and a manicure and then in the same building she sees her doctor.

The Beauty Bus Foundation was founded 13 years ago by Wendy Levine and family in memory of her late sister Melissa. 

Melissa Marantz Nealy was 28 when she lost a yearlong battle to a degenerative neuromuscular disease. Levine describes her sister as a fiery redhead and head cheerleader in high school.  

The family brought in beauty professionals to the home before Melissa passed away. Levine says the beauty treatments "made her feel human."

Lani was in the loving hands of beauty professional Eriq Moreno. He is on the Beauty Bus Foundation staff but for him, this is also personal. 

"My partner passed away from cancer about three years ago," Moreno said. 

An accomplished and published makeup and hair stylist, Moreno says his work with patients is the most spiritual.

Beauty Bus Foundation also does services for first responders and found a special sense of service there during COVID times.

HealthLifestyle