Kate’s curls cut for good cause
Waitara’s Kate Shury said a ’’moment of madness’’ led her to chopping off her long curly auburn locks.
Her workmate, fitter welder Steven Blair was quick to support her crazy idea, putting his scissor hands up to do the chop at the pair’s workplace.
’’It’s not a problem, we’re going for a concave bob cut,’’ said Blair.
Fortunately for Shury, Blair’s skills are not limited to welding. He can wield a pair of scissors well, a skill he learned as a hairdresser.
The mother-of-three had her curls cut off to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) at Fitzroy Engineering on February 28. Her hair would be donated for use in wigs for people affected by hair loss.
Shury looked overwhelmed by the support and attention of her onlooking work colleagues - or perhaps it was just the reality of having short hair, sinking in. ’’It’s all a bit surreal really, now I’ll have to remember to put sunscreen on my neck,’’ she said.
The small sacrifice paled in comparison to why she wanted to do it. A sentiment shared by her partner Peter Shury.
In 2014 Kate gave birth to twin girls, Eloise and Evelyn, who were born prematurely at 29 weeks. The newborns received treatment in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for six weeks while the couple stayed at Wellington’s Ronald McDonald House (RMH), a short walk away from the hospital.
The experience was traumatic, but the support from the RMH team and staying at the house made the ordeal less stressful, which left the young parents to focus on the girls. The fundraiser was her way of paying it forward to support other families like hers.
‘‘We are so grateful for all the love and help we received. At a time when we were feeling so vulnerable, to have that support was amazing.
Her fundraiser raised $1300 and RMHC CEO Wayne Howett said they were grateful she made the brave decision to chop all her long hair to support them. ’’Her ability to get the Taranaki community to support her and our houses is truly incredible.’’
‘‘Ultimately we support families with children in hospital,’’ Howett said.
Today the girls are thriving. Shury said they probably wouldn’t be too happy when they saw her short hair, but their older brother Oliver will be fine with it.