Rapunzel, Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty and Merida, when thinking about long beautiful hair, these are a just few of the Disney Princesses that may come to the minds of many little girls. Four young girls, with family roots in the Middlesex area, also think about how their own tresses may be used to help others.
For my daughter Elisabeth the idea to grow and donate her hair came about when we met a child from her pre-school who, due to an illness, had lost her hair. Elisabeth asked me what happened and we talked about it and also about how she felt about donating her own hair to help others. She liked the idea very much and asked how soon she could do it. She giggled when I responded that when her hair reached her bottom then it would be long enough.
Fast forward 1 1/2 years and off we went to see Anjean Murphy, owner of Salon Murchu in Methuen. Seeing Elisabeth sitting in the salon chair with her 10 1/2" braid ready to be cut off was a bittersweet moment. I was a touch sad to see her long hair go but pleased that she was willing to do something that could help another child.
Elisabeth's 7 year old cousin Kylie from Billerica chose to donate her beautiful hair for the cause around the same time. With the help of Kate Arpin of Dani Salon in Burlington Kylie donated 11 1/2" of wonderfully thick hair.
It may not seem like a big thing but it is not just about the hair. It is about teaching our children that they can do things to help make a difference. And learning they are not alone in wanting to help others is even better. We quickly discovered two other children we know who chose to donate their hair this year. Helping others can be contagious, in a WONDERFUL Way!
8 year old Janelle from Tewksbury visited Sei Bella in Woburn and stylist Melissa Ward had the honor of clipping 8" of hair to be donated.
Olivia of Medford, at 3 was the was the youngest of the donors we know, visited Salon Essence in her Mom's home town of Wilmington to have 11" of hair cut for the cause.
It took between 1 1/2 to 2 years for the girls to each grow their hair long enough to donate and when they were done the combined total was almost 3 1/2 FEET of flowing locks. While it was a little bit of an adjustment all of the girls love their new hair styles. Elisabeth and Kylie especially like the new bangs they are sporting.
When asked what they thought about donating their hair all four girls had similar responses. They all liked being able to give something to another child and hope their contribution helps to make them smile. They all responded with a resounding YES when asked if they would do it again. Olivia is even keeping track of her little sister's hair so she can join in on the donation when it is long enough.
All of the Moms are all in agreement that tub time is MUCH easier but what they agree on even more is that they are proud of their children's willingness to help others. And as any proud parent would do each Mom provided a few Before & After photos to document their child's accomplishment.
