If you know me, you know that I am a girly-girl. You could probably look up ‘princess’ in the dictionary and see me grinning back at you (in just-applied lip gloss, natch). I am addicted to clothes, shoes, make-up, and of course, hair fashion. So, recently, I decided I have fallen into a hair rut and needed a change for my locks. A new, chic short look was just what the doctor ordered.
After I decided to call the stylist for an emergency hair-brainstorming session, I went to church that Sunday to find a friend of mine had just cut her hair drastically shorter. I asked her about her new look, and she told me that she and her daughter had donated their recently cut hair. They donated to an organization that makes wigs for children who have cancer and lose their hair in the treatment process. The gears in my mind started turning and I knew that not only a.) this was what I needed to do, and b.) why.
My hair is wonderful. I don’t have much that I love, or even like, about my appearance (what woman does, really?) but I love my hair. I love the color, the texture, the many hair-styles I can wear, and how it fights to be healthy after all the torture I expose it to – flat irons, curling irons, hair dryers, hot rollers, etc. It truly breaks my heart to think of all the little girls who suffer from not only a life-threatening disease, but also face the loss of their hair. And their cute hair ribbons, barrettes, and headbands that are pretty much essential to being a little girl. But, little boys in their same situation face a big loss, too. While there are no braids or beads for them usually, their hair represents ‘normalcy.’ There is enough going on while you’re fighting a dastardly disease to make a child feel different and weird. They don’t need a bald head on top of it all.
I knew I had to do this.
I went home to research this further, but I found that the well-known U.S.-based hair donation charity wouldn’t accept my hair. While it is extraordinarily healthy (according to my stylist), she uses bleach for my highlights. Apparently, their wig-making process destroys hair with any sort of bleach on it. But, I was not to be deterred. There had to be someplace that would take my donation. (That’s what the Internet’s for, right?) And then I found it. The Little Princess Trust.
Based in the United Kingdom, The Little Princess Trust was founded by Hannah Tarplee’s parents. Hannah was a 5 year old girl who died in 2005 from a form of kidney cancer. At the Trust, their mission is to provide well-made, high-quality wigs for boys and girls who are suffering from hair loss due to disease or related treatments.
When I found The Little Princess Trust, it was clearer than ever before that I was meant to do this. Not only do I feel extremely passionate about the mission behind hair donation, but the fact that it is based in the UK makes it even closer to my heart. Friends of mine who live in England have a little boy who recently battled cancer. He’s doing extremely well now, thank God, but it was definitely a scary time for all of them.
Won’t you consider helping, too? Check out The Little Princess Trust website to make your own hair donation, raise funds or donate financially. There are too many children out there, battling disease, who are scared and confused. You can make a difference in their lives by making it just a little bit easier to face each day. By making these children feel just a bit more ‘normal.’ By giving them a bit more self-confidence to keep up their fight.
Well, here I go — embarking on the journey to successful hair donation. I admit, it’s gonna get a little rough for this girly-girl at times. It takes a lot of hair to make a wig, so the minimum donation is a 7 inch ponytail. But, in spite of no trips to the hair salon and lots of ponytails and buns, I know this was meant to be. I want to be more than a princess – I want to help a Little Princess.
This article was written by Bridget, who you can follow on Twitter @OurRedMama
