I’ve known two people that have encountered cancer. Being as young as I was when I found out about them, I was not familiar with what cancer was. My mom described to me what they had to go through with their treatments and reoccurring visits to the doctor. I saw them without hair and gained a first-hand lesson of what chemotherapy did to their hair. It all fell out.
I had medium length hair. My dance instructors would come to class with a bandana or hat on their head. They had struggled through long years of treatments. Once I heard that people could donate their hair to cancer patients, I was inspired to grow my hair out for them.
I was only in fourth grade when I was determined to donate my hair. I found out all of the details on my own. I would ask random people, “How long does your hair have to be?” or “Were you nervous when your hair got chopped off?”
My hair had to be at least eight inches long, and I had to choose what hairstyle I wanted my short hair to be like.
By fifth grade, it was long enough.
The day I went to get my hair cut, my hair stylist put my hair in a ponytail. She showed me the length my hair would be after it was cut. Imagining what it would be like, I thought the length was good. However, I soon realized that this was going to be the length just from the chopping, not the styling.
I heard the scissors go snip. Ten inches of long blonde hair. Gone. So many thoughts were rambling in my mind. I had one of those moments where I was thinking irrationally, uhh, is there any way you could like put that back on my head?
Then I looked at my mom, and her face showed she was so proud of me. She was my reminder that I was cutting my hair for a good reason, so I should be happy. And that I was.
Throughout the war of thoughts traveling through my head, my ponytail was off my head. It was so long (and surprisingly very heavy). My hairdresser put my hair in an envelope to send to the organization called Locks of Love which is the place where wigs are made for cancer patients
My hair stylist then began styling my hair, and when she was done, it was short. Really short.
I was glad I had made the decision to donate my hair, but the haircut I had after was just not my style. My hair was short, and I did not like it at all.
I am blessed to have great and healthy growing hair, I came to the realization. Cancer patients face a struggle of getting their hair to grow back at a normal healthy rate.
As much as I wanted my hair to grow back immediately, I took a second to reflect. Making a sacrifice to put others before myself helped me have a different view on everyday events. I can help others in several different ways, but the times that I sacrifice something, like plans, time, or something I own, makes me see that I can be there for others. To be someone that is helpful and supportive means the world to me because it adds character, it lets you see the world in a different light, and it is great to see the change in the world.
Putting others before myself has always been important to me. I always feel better knowing that I made another person’s day, or even made them smile. Even though I was sad when I had cut my hair, and I did not like my haircut afterward, it led me to come to the realization that I was helping people in a positive way. Someone going through cancer would be super excited to have hair donated to them; I know I would be if I was them.
Because of this, I have donated my hair two more times since then. As my hair grows out time and time again, I will always remember that I have the option to chop it to help others. And that is what I wish to continue to do.
There are several different places you can donate to, please explore the links below, so you can see how YOU can make the change.
Locks Of Love
"Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:1-2