Good news for children with hair loss problem
Fifth-grader makes cut, donates hair for cancer victimsBy: Deborah Rowe , contributing writer
Harley Wilson has more than a strand of goodness in her heart.
Wilson, 10, who starts her fifth-grade year at Cryar Intermediate School today, donated more than 10 inches of her hair to Locks of Love Sunday. Locks of Love is a nonprofit organization that provides real hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children 18 years old and under, who suffer from long-term medical hair loss.
Wilson had her hair cut by Christy Williams at Fantastic Sam's in Conroe, which participates in the Locks of Love hair donation program.
After watching her relatives endure cancer and lose their hair from chemotherapy, Wilson decided at the age of 7 that she wanted to help others by growing out her hair for Locks of Love to provide a wig for someone suffering from severe hair loss.
"I didn't cut my hair for three years," she said. "I didn't let people braid it, or put it up in a ponytail either, because that can damage the hair. I didn't get it highlighted or anything. I wanted my hair to be in the best shape it could be in for the wig."
Ellen Garcia, Wilson's legal guardian and grandmother who lives in Conroe, said the Locks of Love idea was solely her granddaughter's.
"It was a big decision for her to make, not to touch her hair for three years and then cut it all off," she said. "I called around, and the only local place I could find who cuts hair for Locks of Love is Fantastic Sam's."
Garcia said everybody in the hair salon was impressed, including herself.
"I am very proud of her," Garcia said. "She did this from the kindness of her heart."
Wilson said her hair is shorter than it ever has been, but she is glad she did it.
"I especially am glad to help kids that have cancer and had to go through chemotherapy," she said.
Williams, 28, said she is very proud of the people who donate their hair to Locks of Love.
"Believe it or not, quite a few of the people that I have cut hair for the Locks of Love program have been children," she said. "Children helping children is a wonderful concept. I am glad I cut Harley's hair."
Williams said Fantastic Sam's has been cutting hair for Locks of Love for approximately six months.
To donate hair to Locks of Love, hair must be free of coloring, perms and in good health. It must be long as well, "because we need at least 10 inches to cut off for the wig," Wilson said. "After we cut the hair, we send it to our corporate office in Houston, who then sends it off to various organizations."
According to Locks of Love, the process of providing a child a hair prosthesis (hairpiece) takes four to six months. The process begins when a parent, nurse, friend or doctor nominates a child who is suffering from long-term or permanent medical hair loss.
The application requires two letters of recommendation, a diagnosis, a photo and a copy of the parent's most recent tax returns. Applications are usually turned around in one to three days of receipt.
According to Locks of Love, the hairpiece retails between $3,500 and $6,000. Even though the organization provides donated hair for the prostheses, Locks of Love must pay for the manufacturing costs of each prosthesis. Between the ages of 6 and 18, a child can reapply every 18 months for a total of up to five hairpieces.
For more information about donating hair at Fantastic Sam's in Conroe, call (936) 760-2800 or visit Locks of Love at www.locksoflove.org.
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