The cancer patient was distraught during an interview for a position at a mental health company

A cancer patient was distraught after an interview at a mental health company, where she heard callous comments from interviewers asking why she wasn’t showing her hair.

Krystal Garmon posted about her experience on LinkedIn last week, citing that they made fun of the “head cap” she wore and said she “would have looked more professional if she showed her hair” than they accidentally left their Zoom call in progress.

Garmon told USA Today that she was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2013 and cervical cancer in 2017, and has had five surgeries since then.

She recalled having a significant connection with her hair in her early 30s, but now her hair “has never really grown back” since her second battle with cancer.

Cancer sufferer Krystal Garmon was distraught after an interview at a mental health company where she heard callous and thoughtless comments about her appearance

Garmon posted about her experience on LinkedIn last week, citing that they made fun of the “head cap” she wore and said she “would have looked more professional if she showed her hair.”

In the harrowing post, Garmon wrote that she wears a headdress everywhere she goes because she’s “embarrassed” about the way her hair looks.

“The only people who saw me without him were my husband, my immediate family and my doctors,” she said.

But at last week’s interview, she felt even worse after staff at the mental health firm – who she didn’t name – started discussing her hat without realizing she could hear them.

“I had an interview with a company that didn’t end their Zoom meeting before they started talking to each other,” she wrote.

She said they commented, “She was wearing a hat, did she know she was in an interview?”

They added that they also said, “She would look more professional if she showed her hair. I can’t tell what color her hair is.”

“Do you know my hair is bumpy? Do you know I have bald spots? Do you know I’m embarrassed to show anyone what I’ve been through? Do you know that my hair looks less professional when I’m not wearing a hat?’ she explained in the post.

“I wouldn’t mind. I would show up and show my best side every day.

Garmon said she’s no stranger to people judging her looks as she battled cancer, saying someone commented on her weight at a grocery store after she had chemo and suggested she not eat any of the food food she bought

Garmon recalled having a significant connection with her hair in her early 30s, but now her hair “has never really grown back” since her second battle with cancer

She slammed the company, saying that instead of asking why she had the cap on, she was angry that she chose to put it down. Garmon pictured with her short haired dogs

“I knew I wasn’t the type of business owner who would send out generic emails or steal my business ideas after 4 interviews and promote a customer service motto but be discreet about bad human practices internally.”

Though the experience had been hurtful to Garmon, she went on to say, “Cheers to the rude folks out there.”

“They help us kind people see how important we are to others and how important our purpose remains,” she said. “Today is the last day I wear something to hide my story. I will carry my story with appreciation. My pride is hurt, but today I learned a valuable lesson in self-love.”

Garmon said she’s no stranger to people judging her looks while battling cancer.

“I knew every time I sat in the chemo chair four days a week that I was either losing or winning the battle, but I was nice to others and did my best,” she wrote.

“When I first went to the grocery store after 2 years of treatment, I weighed 93 pounds. Someone whispered, Does she know she won’t even eat the food she buys? I will remember this day.’

In her interview with USA Today, she did not name the company for fear of retaliation from potential employers, but said she was shocked by her comments.

Garmon has been providing therapy since 2005 and in private practice since 2015, and said the chemotherapy seemed easier than what you’d expect in a job interview after battling cancer.

“I knew I would make a significant difference with the person who was always sitting next to me,” she said.

“In these job situations, I feel a bit repressed… I have no control over being ghosted. I have no control over people’s misconceptions about whether or not I wear a hat.

She hasn’t heard from the company since the interview, stressing that companies should and can be curious and compassionate during the hiring process

Garmon said the experience, while heartbreaking, gave her a newfound confidence and promised she wouldn’t hide her story

She slammed the company, saying she was angry that instead of asking, she chose to put her down.

“I was angry at their lack of involvement, questioning and curiosity,” she said.

She hasn’t heard from the company since the interview, stressing that companies should and can be curious and compassionate during the hiring process by asking questions like “Why are you wearing that?”. and make no assumptions.

“You need HR managers [to] Maybe you’re taking some motivational interviewing classes, or maybe you have a bit of empathetic understanding,” she said. ‘I am much more than my hat.’

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