Three members of a Drayton family spent a number of years growing their hair in order to donate their long tresses to a children’s cause.
Seven-year-old Kandice Roth has been growing her hair since birth. Over the past seven years she has never had a major cut, just two trims. Sister Meagan previously donated her hair at age six. Their mother, Rachel, has made two donations of her hair. The last time was seven years ago.
The trio booked a hair appointment for Aug. 11 with Crystal Dobben at A Golden Touch hair salon in Drayton.
“We thought it would be fun for all of us to get our hair cut together. Rather than waste it, I thought it would be a good idea to donate all of our hair,” Rachel said.
The locks of hair will be sent to Angel Hair for Kids, a program of A Child’s Voice Foundation. It provides wigs and hair loss solutions to financially disadvantaged Canadian children who have lost their hair due to a medical condition or treatment, including cancer treatments, alopecia (due to the body’s immune system attacking hair follicles) and burns.
The organization believes that providing for children in need will increase a child’s self esteem and improve their self image during a difficult time in their lives.
Using donated hair, the foundation can create wigs and hair systems and provide them at no cost to children in need. One hair prosthesis requires 10 to 12 donated ponytails and $800 to $1,000 to cover manufacturing and related costs.
Recipients are given a personal appointment at a salon that specializes in wigs and hair loss. The expert helps the child, along with their family, walk through the process of wig selection or hair loss solutions.
Once selected, the prosthesis is fitted and styled to suit the child’s needs. The child also receives a kit that includes a wig stand, shampoo, hair brush and care instructions. For children too ill to come to an appointment, arrangements are made for a home visit.
In an email to the Community News the Roth’s explained why they chose hair donations.
“There are so many people in our church community and school community who are dealing with cancer,” wrote Rachel. “If I can make one person who is dealing with this terrible illness smile, then it is totally worth it.”
Meagan added, “I think kids who have cancer would like to have hair so they can still look like everyone else.”
Kandice said, “I like sending my hair to kids with cancer so they can look like their friends.”
The family encourages those wanting to make a difference in a child’s life to grow and donate their hair.
