By Elizabeth Brannon
Ty Sanford is a Flower Mound resident who is also an artist, a psychologist, a successful businesswoman and an empathic, giving soul with a passion to help children.
Ty puts love and feeling into her art because ultimately, her art is all about helping sick children.
Ty owns two local businesses, and each business is focused on helping people with hair loss. She has no personal experience with hair loss, but she feels called to give from the heart. Both of her businesses also help people with self-esteem and with quality of life because no one likes the stigma of lack of hair.
Tresses of Care, tressesofcare.org is a non-profit that provides non-surgical, natural hair solutions for children at no cost. With a hairpiece, children suffering from cancer can experience a respite from everything that has changed in their lives and can feel more like their usual selves while wearing the wig. Tresses of Care accepts insurance and Ty does the liaison work with the insurance companies on behalf of the children. There are so many financial challenges for families and these wigs are a medical and psychological necessity. Ty said the spirits of the children soar when they get their wigs.
Legacy Lace Wigs (LLC), legacylacewigs.com is focused on adults and dedicated to helping preserve the beauty people were born with. Ty says, “there is something special about the power of hair. It can heal your soul and give you a reason to live.”
Prior to COVID, profits from Legacy Lace Wigs helped fund Tresses of Care, but Legacy could no longer fund Tresses. Ty wanted to do a fundraiser for Tresses of Care, but instead, began to self-fund the organization. Wigs for children cost $1500 and last for three years. Ty quickly realized she needed another way to fund her non-profit.
Throughout the COVID lockdown, Ty was creating art for her own enjoyment, but as people discovered Ty’s works of art, they began to purchase and commission art from her. At that point, Ty’s art directly became part of the success of Tresses of Care and allowed her to continue to serve children in need.
A sample of Ty’s works of art are currently on display at the Town of Flower Mound Town Hall Art Wall. Ty makes liberal use of vibrant color and uses all mediums including crystals and rocks in her works to help create healing elements and energy. Ty’s works radiate an exciting joy and happiness. No two works are ever the same, and art lovers and supporters of the non-profit can commission Ty to create whatever art is wanted.
Ty’s art sold out immediately on Etsy and she is on a break from Esty just to be able to create more available works. You can also see her works on Facebook at facebook.com/tressesofcare. Her art is now paired up directly with the children who need wigs, as all art sales support the purchase of the wigs.
Because Ty has sold out of her art work quickly and continues to enjoy robust sales of her art, she no longer needs donations or profits from Legacy to fund Tresses of Care. Sales of her art make Ty happy and she hopes the people who purchase are equally happy with the art and the end result of the sale. If you donate to Tresses, you can have a piece of art.
For those interested in learning more about the wigs and how the process works – from selecting color, texture and length of hair to the actual creating of the wig in the UK – look at Ty’s Facebook page. The wigs are made of human hair and all are hand tied. After the wig is created, a stylist actually styles the wig. Ty follows up with each child at the end of the year, also at no cost to the family.
Ty appreciates the support she gets from her husband, Legacy Salons, Michaels, Hobby Lobby and all the fans who purchase her art. Her art ranges from small to large pieces and prices. In the joy of designing upbeat works of art, Ty is doubly blessed. She creates and sends beautiful works out into the world and then helps comfort and heal children. We salute Ty for her talents and her generosity.
Art Thoughts –“Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.” — Leo Buscaglia
Elizabeth Brannon serves on the Flower Mound Cultural Arts Commission.
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