Locks of Love

Locks of Love has been an organization that I am passionate about. I thank God that I was blessed with beautiful, long, thick hair. But, there are children out there that are not as blessed due to illness. Alopecia is the #1 cause of permanent hair loss for children. Radiation and chemotherapy are a cause of long-term hair loss. Imagine if you were that child growing up with no hair- imagine the constant stares and whispers. All while you were battling a disease you yourself did not understand- and trying to find yourself and gain confidence in who you were at the same time. This time in those children's lives must be a hard because I know it was hard for me and I looked normal.

 I decided when i was 18 to donate my hair for the first time. I heard about Locks of Love from a hair dresser of mine. I wanted to cut my hair one day and she suggested I donate it. I had this sense of freedom in losing so much hair, but also felt this sense that I finally found a way for me to give of myself to help someone else. So at the age of 18, 21, 24, and 27, I have given in the most humbling way that I can think of- giving up what has always defined me: my hair.

Here we go!

10 inches donated for a sweet child

I have received a lot of negative comments and have those who do not support me. You can not believe it? Neither can I. I have been told that i do not look good with short hair. I have been told that it will hurt my chances of winning a pageant and i am just asking to loss. I have been told that my efforts are in vain. i have been told that I am losing myself. I am confidant in myself and the way that I look that I try to explain that I do not need my hair to feel beautiful about myself: but a child does.

I try to explain it like this: what if your 7 year old child woke up one day and all their hair was laying on their pillow? Gone. Fallen completely out. How would they feel? What would they think? How would YOU feel as a parent? Embarrassed? Heart-broken? Praying to God to please make it all better? Locks of Love does just that. They have answered the prayers of 2,000 children and parents every year. And they can not answer those prayers unless people like myself donate hair.

Fact: it take 10-30 hair donations to make 1 wig. Yes. You heard me correctly. Amazing huh?

That is why donations are vital. I have 3 friends that pledged to donate hair with me. And to them, I am forever grateful! Will you join me and make a pledge to donate? You only need 10 inches for Locks of Love. If you want to donate but do not have enough hair? You can still donate! How, you ask? Because they will sell your hair to other wig companies to offset the cost to make a wig.

Fact: it costs $1,000 to make 1 wig- YES! $1,000 to process, disinfect, sort, and sew in the hair strand to make just 1 wig. By donating too short hair, the sales from it go towards offsetting the cost to make a wig.

To date I have donated over 50 inches of hair...

So will YOU pledge to donate with me?

Here are images from my last 2 donations:

October 2009: 2 ponytails- 10inches each!

December 2012: 1 ponytail- 10 inches long!!

 Until next time friends...