“My hairdresser saved my life”
July 8, 2025
A missed hair appointment, good neighbors, and the unexpected gift of community
Janet Hefright with stylists from Designer’s Edge (L-R): Billie Jo Price,
Jenn Eichelberger, and Julie Norris.
When Janet Hefright fell and broke her hip last fall, she feared the worst. Although she wasn’t in pain, she couldn’t move to reach her phone, and she didn’t think her neighbor would stop in to check on her until the next day. She was stuck on the floor all night and most of the next day. Without a blanket or water, her vitals started to drop dangerously low. That is, until she missed her weekly hair appointment at Designer’s Edge Hair and Nails in Huntingdon.
“My hairdresser Jenn Eichelberger called my neighbor, Linda Weir, and said, ‘Janet never misses an appointment so there must be something wrong. Can you check?’ So, my neighbor’s husband came over and found me. He called an ambulance just in time.”
She says that she doesn’t know what would have happened if her hairdresser hadn’t reached out. “Jenn is my superhero living in Huntingdon. She saved my life.”
After spending time in the hospital, Janet needed to choose a rehab where she could heal and get stronger to go home. She didn’t know where to go until her neighbor Linda stepped in again.
“She said that she had gone to a wonderful open house at Valley View, and she said she was really impressed. I told her that was good enough for me!” Janet said. “And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
In fact, Janet enjoyed being at Valley View so much that when she finished her time in Rehab, she decided to make the move to a personal care apartment in The Terrace for a few months while her niece prepared a suite for her in her home in Virginia.
Janet says one of her favorite things about living in The Terrace was mealtime. “I liked sitting at small tables with three other people. I got to know them very well and they took me under their wing.”
When her new suite at her niece’s house was ready, Janet sat down with one of her new friends, Mary, to tell her that she was leaving. “I got tears in my eyes telling her,” she remembers. “And I said, ‘I don’t have anything to give you.’ She told me, ‘You’ve given me your friendship and that’s the most important thing.’”
We talked with Janet the day before she moved to Virginia. It was a day filled with goodbyes, promises to write, and, as she says, many mixed feelings.
“Years ago, I heard that you can be sad and glad at the same time. And now I know what that is. I’m glad that I’m going to be with my family, but I am sad to leave here. I’ve made friends and it’s been a good place for me. Everyone’s been so wonderful.”