Maureen Span in the classroom she shares with some of her huge fan club at P.S. 100
For one Queens teacher there was no Academy Award but to everyone who knows her, Maureen Span is definitely a winner.
For most of us, the Academy Awards are something we only dream about being involved in—a dream less than 99.9% of people ever realize. But for first grade teacher Maureen Span of P.S. 100 in Ozone Park, the reality of that dream was ironically brought on by a nightmare of the worst proportion.
In July of 2011, Span was diagnosed with breast cancer and a month later faced a double mastectomy.
“I’m going to be dead at 33.” That’s the first thought that entered Span’s head after hearing the doctors pronouncement. She had found the lump back in February of 2011 but waited to see the doctor because she and her sister and brother were caring for their dad who was suffering from late stage bladder cancer.
“I just couldn’t burden them with anything else,” Span said. “They were going through enough, and I kept thinking, I’ll be fine.”
But in June, her dad passed and her husband Brian insisted she go to the doctor. Shortly after she told her family and began to prepare for a long, difficult road ahead. One paved with surgery, chemotherapy, reconstructive surgery and a difficult and painful recovery.
After undergoing surgery it was time for treatments to begin at Memorial Sloan Kettering. And shortly after, the realization that hair loss was on the immediate horizon plagued the young teachers mind. “I remember thinking how horrible it would be to lose my hair in clumps,” she said. “To turn over and find it on the pillow. I just couldn’t do it.” And so she made the decision not to lose her hair any other way but on her own terms.
Span, who lives in Sayville on Long Island had heard about a beauty salon in Islip named Racine.
The owners of the salon, two sisters, Rachel Demolfetto and Cynthia Sansone, had lost their mother Mildred to breast cancer and had started a cancer care program on the third Monday of every month at their salon.
On that day they offered their services—hair styling, mani-pedi, massage—free of charge to cancer patients. Professional staffers came in and donated their services. For the sisters, it was their way to honor the brave struggle of their mom and to offer a net of support for other women facing the similar challenges. For Maureen Span it was a place to resolve the trauma of losing her hair by choice; it was at Racine’s that she would have her head shaved.
“I know it sounds insane,” Span would say, “but I feel much better about losing my breasts than my hair.” And despite having made the choice to lop off the long blond locks so much a part of her, it was one of the most difficult things she says she has ever faced.
Coincidentally, at the same time she was to go to the salon to get shaved, HBO producers had begun filming a documentary, Monday at Racine’s, at the salon. The film focused on the sister/owners of the salon as well following several of the women who were utilizing their services.
A tearful moment as a stylist at Racine's shaves Maureen Span's head. This shot was taken from the clip played at the Academy Awards show last Sunday and was viewed by million of people all over the world.
When they asked to feature Span’s head shaving in the film, she agreed, and the whirlwind started. The emotion of the experience was showcased in the film and after its completion, the documentary made the rounds at various film festivals and then the news came—Monday At Racine’s was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary. In fact, when the Oscars aired last Sunday evening, it was the shaving of Span’s head that was seen by tens of millions of people as the clip played at the announcement of the film’s nomination.
And for all the anticipation in Los Angeles, on the biggest night in Hollywood, there was no competition for the frenzy of excitement and support launched by Span’s co-workers at P.S. 100.
The door of the classroom decorated to celebrate the Oscar nomination and Span's role in Monday's at Racine's.
Span arrived to class right before the weekend to find the door of her classroom decorated with Hollywood stars and movie props. It was one big party, complete with an Oscar themed cake made by another teacher at the school and every other Academy Award trimming known to man.
For Span it was a show of support that was a continuance of all else the school community had shown her since she took ill.
“This school has made me feel that I can accomplish anything.” And accomplish she has. Assigning most of the credit to her husband— “I could never have made it without him. He is the most amazing man that ever lived—Span is enjoying a cancer free status and back to a completely normal routine. Her life is punctuated by regular checkups and monitoring but for the most part she is back to a status quo—with a lovely set of new locks growing in.
She considers herself one of the luckiest people in the world, surrounded with the love and support of family, co-workers, students and the incredible network at Racine’s. Somehow it doesn’t matter that Monday’s at Racine’s didn’t take home the Oscar for the Best Documentary. Maureen Span has taken something much more profound home with her. A new lease on life.
Watch listings on HBO for the upcoming airing of Monday’s at Racine’s.
By Patricia Adams
