Ella locks in a good hair day for charity
AFTER four years of growing her hair, 10-year-old Ella Parsons is chopping her locks for a good cause.
The Point Lonsdale Primary School student was inspired to donate her hair to charity after witnessing her father Dave go through chemotherapy.
It was while shaving his hair as a seven-year-old that Ella’s mission was born.
“I asked mum ‘what happens to little kids who lose their hair with cancer?’ and she said that they wear wigs and I decided from then I was going to grow my hair and donate it,” Ella said.
“Usually Dad would wear either a hat or a beanie, so I think it would be nice if kids had a wig so people don’t think they’re sick. Plus it’s different for girls because girls are not usually bald.”
Ella’s mum Jo, a hairdresser, will have the honour of cutting 25cm off her daughter’s hair at a school assembly next month and sending it away to wig makers Louis Barnett & Son.
“The hair is stored in a hair library and children can go in before they lose their hair to try and match it for colour and texture, so it is age appropriate,” Mrs Parsons said. “It also makes it cheaper for them to purchase the wig because the hair has been donated.”
The grade 5 student has already raised $1500 for the World’s Greatest Shave, well past her initial goal of $1000.
Mr Parsons said his daughter’s sense of empathy for others at such a young age was an inspiration.
“I reckon it’s amazing, I’m blown away. We are super proud of her,” he said.