A Neighbor's Story about "Locks of Love!"

"I'm ready to donate my hair now, mommy." These were the words I longed to hear from my 6 year old daughter after waiting a very long time. Elizabeth has had her long hair since she was a toddler, and it just kept growing. We had talked many times about how some of her hair could be given to another little girl who cannot grow hair. She just wasn't ready to do it and I didn't want to force it. I wanted this to be her decision. Now after a couple of years of occasional nudges, Elizabeth decided on her own that she was ready to donate her hair. Out of the blue, she just said, "I'm ready to donate my hair now, mommy." My head jerked toward the back seat of the car and I asked her to repeat what she just said. I couldn't believe it. So, that same afternoon we drove to the Great Clips parking lot.

Thankfully, our favorite hair stylist, Monica was at the store that day. We found that Elizabeth's hair cut would be FREE since she was donating to Locks of Love. So, in four separate sections, 10 inches were measured and cut. I was a little worried Elizabeth would be regretful of her decision, but instead she was smiling the entire time and to this day loves her new do! It was a beautiful moment and I am so proud of her! And not only was the haircut free, but Great Clips also sent the hair to the Locks of Love organization on our behalf, so we didn't need to ship her donation either. They took care of everything.

Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. They take a minimum of 10 inches of donated hair to make a wig for those who cannot grow hair. They also send a certificate of gratitude in the mail confirming that they received the donation. I would encourage any young girls or women out there to donate their hair, if at all possible. It truly is better to give than to receive. Please check out the website and see if you might be a candidate. http://locksoflove.org/

Submitted by Mary Stevens