Adversity Aside, Business Dream Comes True For Enfield Native

ENFIELD, CT — Less than seven years ago, former Fermi High School football star Dallas Wood was given a "less than 10 percent chance" of survival from a combination of life-threatening illnesses. He was hospitalized for nearly a year and a half, dropping to 89 pounds while undergoing treatment for large B-cell lymphoma and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare liver disease.

Last Saturday, after persevering through adversity that most would have found unbeatable, Wood realized a lifetime dream by opening his own business in his old hometown of Enfield, on the corner of the street where he grew up.

TANtastic has opened at 175 Elm Street, on the northwest corner of Spring Garden Road. The facility has six tanning stations - four beds, a standup booth and an automated spray machine. What sets it apart from similar businesses, according to Wood, is the soothing decor of bright paintings.

"It's not your typical tanning salon; I wanted to go for something that grabs your attention the moment you walk through the door," Wood said in an interview Thursday. "Most places are just tanning rooms lined up straight ahead. I wanted a different energy in here, to walk in and be wowed by the paintings and the energy. Every room has its own individual feel."

Wood said he has been going to tanning salons since he was 18, and always aspired to operate one of his own.

"Since I was younger, I've wanted to have my own business, but finances have always held me back until recently," he said.

His journey toward entrepreneurship began following his graduation from Fermi in 2001. After twice making the All-State football team, and setting a pair of pass receiving records which still rank in the Connecticut all-time top 20, he decided to forego playing college ball, opting instead to travel the country.

Fast forward a decade to 2012, when Wood considered a tryout with the Arena Football League.

"I had been a vegetarian for three years, worked out every day and was in the best shape of my life," he recalled. "I woke up one day and felt like I was literally walking on my bones. The next day, I could barely walk, and doctors put me on medication. A few days later I felt better and stopped the medications, but the problem came back."

After consulting with various doctors, Wood was diagnosed with Adult Still disease, a rare disorder that causes high fever, rash and joint pain, similar to rheumatoid arthritis. After about a year and a half and three bone marrow biopsies, doctors found lymphoma and HLH, necessitating consideration of a liver transplant.

Despite the overwhelming odds and uphill battle he would face, Wood kept a positive mental attitude throughout his illness.

"I knew I would make it out," he said. "You have two options every day when you wake up. I decided to take the positive one."

With most of his medical problems now in the rear view mirror, Wood decided to pursue his business vision, and caught the break he was looking for when the building at 175 Elm, which had most recently housed The Buzz Salon, became available.

"When this became available, I thought it's a perfect spot for a salon," he said, citing the high traffic flow and location with a signal light in front of the building, directly across from Asnuntuck Community College.

He made arrangements with the building's owner about six months ago to create his business, hoping to open around April 1, but almost immediately hit a snag.

"Three or four weeks into it, COVID-19 hit," he said. "It was certainly a most interesting time to try opening a business."

Renovations to the inside were accomplished with the aid of Wood's brother and uncle, but receiving approval from town building officials took some time in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Finally, the green light was received, and the business debuted Aug. 15.

Appointments are accepted, but "tanning is mostly a walk-in business," Wood said. The salon offers single session rates for those out and about that feel like a spur-of-the-moment boost.

"If you're stressed, if you've had a long day, you can go tanning and feel better," he said.

Packages and memberships are also available. A small collection of women's apparel is for sale, soon to be joined by jewelry. More information may be found here.

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