Nine-year-old moved to make the big chop for cancer

FELICITY Pilgrim surprised everyone in her family when she declared she wanted to donate her long strawberry blonde locks to kids with cancer.

Now, after two years of growth, the nine year-old’s hair is 57cm long, and ready to be made into a wig for the Leukaemia Foundation.

Felicity’s Mum said personal family experience with Leukaemia made her daughter decide she needed to help the cause.

“We had an uncle who had Leukaemia over the past few years and now he’s in remission which is great,” Miss Hewson said.

“But I think although Felicity isn’t old enough to understand the horrors of cancer, she saw how people lose their hair and it really hit her and made her feel very sad.

“Not only the thought of losing a life, but also the thought of losing your hair, is an extreme thing to come to terms with at a young age.”

Felicity said she’s willing to give up some of her hair for those who don’t have any at all.

“All of the kids at school think I’ve got such long, cool hair and probably won’t understand why I want to get rid of it,” she said.

“But I think it’s all worth it if I can help people.”

Full of nerves for her new look, Felicity said she just had to keep reminding herself to be brave.

“I’ve never had short hair before and it’s a little scary because it will be jsut above my collarabone, but I think if I can cut all my hair off I can do anything,” she said.

Miss Hewson said she’s sure this is just the beginning of Felicity’s charity work.

“She’s got a good heart and she’s very sensitive so when I showed her photos of kids with leukaemia and what they do with donated hair, she was even more determined to do it,” she said.

“I think this is the beginning of her realising a passion for helping people and I’m so proud.”

Felicity will be donating her hair and the funds she raises to the Leukaemia foundation on March 13.

Her target is $560, enough to provide a week’s accommodation for the family of a patient.

To donate visit: https://secure.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?RegistrationID=781579.