A widow who went from caring for her late husband to her 90-year-old father has received a much-deserved ambush makeover.
In honor of November being National Family Caregivers Month, Susan Gray, 65, from West Babylon, New York, was given a head-to-toe transformation at the hands of celebrity hairstylist Louis Licari and Today lifestyle contributor Jill Martin.
‘My story begins six years ago when my beloved husband of 25 years became extremely sick from a bacterial infection,’ she said. ‘Overnight our lives changed.’
Then and wow! Susan Gray, 65, from West Babylon, New York, received an ambush makeover on the Today show on Thursday in honor of National Family Caregivers Month
Life-changing moment: She took care of her husband of 25 years after he contracted a fatal bacterial infection that prevented him from working and performing simple tasks
Susan had to stop working full-time because her husband could no longer work, drive, or perform simple tasks.
‘It was a difficult journey and I cared for him for years before I lost him,’ she said. ‘Three months after my husband passed away, my 88-year-old dad suffered a major stroke.
She has been caring for her father at home for nearly two years, and they recently celebrated his 90th birthday ‘with smiles on our faces.’
Despite all of her hardships, she said she is ‘glad’ that she was able to care for her husband while he battled a fatal infection and now be there for her father.
Loss: Susan had to stop working full-time because her husband could no longer work, drive, or perform simple tasks. He passed away nearly two years ago
Selfless: Three months after her husband died, her now-90-year-old suffered a stroke, and she became his caregiver
Susan was joined by her sister Barbara, sister-in-law Jill, and friends Sandy and Erwin, who were all eager to see her new look.
She had a smile on her face when she stepped on stage wearing a flirty black dress that highlighted her slim figure.
Her friends and family clapped when they saw her makeover, and she was just as happy when she turned around and looked at herself in the mirror for the first time since she met with her glam squad.
‘Susan has the most beautiful hair. It’s thick. It has great volume and body,’ Louis gushed. ‘She doesn’t have one gray hair, so all I did was paint on a few lighter tones on top.’
Fans: Susan was joined by her sister Barbara, sister-in-law Jill, and friends Sandy and Erwin, who were all eager to see her new look
New ‘do: Susan’s dark hair was cut into a new style, and celebrity hairstylist Louis Licari added some lighter tones to her color
Jill, meanwhile, dressed her in a black dress featuring velvet floral accents and maroon booties that she could also wear with jeans.
‘I’m so thrilled,’ Susan told the Today hosts and her makeover team. ‘Thank you so much for having me.’
Darlene Doyle, 54, from Shelton, Connecticut, also received a makeover on Thursday’s show.
Like Susan, she has been caring for her husband Patrick, whose personality, behavior, and language have been affected by frontotemporal lobe dementia.
Beautiful: Darlene Doyle, 54, from Shelton, Connecticut, also received a makeover on Thursday’s show
Heartache: Like Susan, she has been caring for her husband Patrick, whose personality, behavior, and language have been affected by frontotemporal lobe dementia
True love: Darlene was excited for her husband to see her new look after getting primped and pampered
‘In January 1991, I met my Prince Charming, Patrick,’ she said. ‘We enjoyed many happy years as a family with our daughter Megan, but our lives changed when Patrick started to have cognitive issues.’
Darlene admitted that she has spent many hours ‘hiding and crying’ about the new life she has to live.
‘I face challenges each day, but with the help of my therapist I am learning to face them bravely,’ she said.
‘I am very excited for Patrick to see me at the reveal,’ she added. ‘He feels that I truly deserve this gift for all that I do for him.
‘We are in it together for the long haul, and we’ll continue to be as strong and brave as we can be as we continue our journey with this awful disease.’
Aww: ‘I always thought she was beautiful anyhow,’ Patrick sweetly noted after she walked on stage to show off her makeover
Pretty: Louis explained that Darlene’s thin hair was cut to give her more volume and he simply ‘washed away the gray’ to make it all come together
Darlene’s husband and their daughter Megan joined her on stage when she unveiled her new stylish new look.
‘I always thought she was beautiful anyhow,’ Patrick sweetly noted.
When she turned around to look at herself in the mirror, she was a bit stunned.
‘Oh my God. It’s a whole new me,’ she said. ‘Thank you so much for this.’
Louis explained that Darlene’s thin hair was cut to give her more volume and he simply ‘washed away the gray’ to make it all come together.
Jill said Darlene told her to put her in something she wouldn’t normally wear, and the stylist did just that.
She mixed and matched animal prints, dressing her in a cheetah print top with a black jacket and pants and snakeskin booties.
‘I love it,’ Patrick said.