A Merseyside schoolgirl has followed in the footsteps of pop star Jessie J by donating her hair to a cancer charity.
Brave 10-year-old, Karlie Bissit, from Halewood, decided to have her first hair cut in aid of charity. She donated her 15-inch locks to Little Princess Trust, a company which makes and provides free wigs to young children undergoing cancer treatment across the UK.
Jessie J, currently starring in the BBC talent programme The Voice, also donated her locks to this charity after shaving her hair live on Comic Relief.
Charity manager Monica Glass told JMU Journalism: “It is important for children to receive these wigs because it helps restore confidence and self-esteem and, if the child is well enough, assists them to resume their life before diagnosis.
The pupil at St Andrew’s The Apostle School decided she wanted to give her hair to children who had lost theirs after meeting young cancer sufferer Catherine at an appointment at Alder Hey hospital.
Karlie’s mum, Paula said: “Catherine had cancer in her leg and had lost all her hair. Catherine told Karlie that she wished she had hair like hers. As we were walking out of the hospital Karlie suddenly turned to me and said ‘Mum, can I give all my hair to Catherine?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKnUbw4YFbA
Karlie has also been raising money for Cancer Research by getting people to sponsor her to have hair chopped off at John Joseph hairdressers in Garston, raising around £200 so far.
Monica told JMU Journalism: “We are fortunate to receive hair donations from men, women and children of all ages and ethnicities. Whilst we cannot quantify how many we receive every month from children, the Trust receives as a whole over 800 hair donations per month, which is fantastic because many of these kind supporters are also raising money for the charity too.”