A seven-year-old Ripon girl will carry out a double act of kindness to help others next month.
Lacey Dyason is donating her hair to The Little Princess Trust, while also taking part in the Macmillan Cancer Support Brave The Shave fundraising challenge.
A pupil of Ripon Cathedral Church of England Primary School, Lacey decided to donate her long brown hair after seeing a television programme featuring children who have lost their hair because of illness.
She asked her parents Louise and Barry:
“Will they get bullied by other children because they haven’t got any hair?”
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Louise told the Stray Ferret:
“She couldn’t bear the thought of another child suffering embarrassment or hurtful comments because they have lost their hair through an illness and her mind was made up – she wanted to help.”
The Little Princess Trust provides free real hair wigs to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or other conditions.
Lacey, pictured with her parents Louise and Barry Dyason
While finding out more about the work of the charity, Mr and Mrs Dyason spoke with Lacey, asking her if she was absolutely sure she wanted to make the donation. The answer came back ‘yes’ every time.
As well as seeing the programme about the children who lost her hair, Lacey saw television advertisements about the Macmillan Cancer Support Brave the Shave challenge.
After talking about it with her parents it was agreed that she could also take part in this fundraiser and attempt to raise £500.
At the time of going to press she had beaten the original target on her fundraising page https://bravetheshave.macmillan.org.uk/shavers/lacey-dyason in a matter of days and hopes more people will support her.
Louise, added:
“She is a thoughtful, but determined girl and Barry and I and her elder brother Mckenzie are so proud of her.”
The cutting and collection of Lacey’s hair will be carried out at the Saks salon in High Skellgate, which works with The Princess Trust.
The head shave will go ahead after her long locks have been safely packaged in readiness to send to the charity.
Louise added:
“We decided to select October for both the hair cut and the shave, so that we can let Lacey’s teachers and friends know in advance what she is doing and why she is doing it, so it won’t come as a shock when they see her temporary changed appearance.”
Since 2006, The Little Princess Trust has supplied more than 8,000 wigs to children and young people and invested £5 million into ground-breaking childhood cancer research.