Ffion becomes charity bigwig
Caring Ffion has long locks cut for cancer charity
ASCHOOLGIRL has had 20 inches of her hair chopped off which will be made into wigs for cancer patients.
Ffion Nightingale, nine, from Clayton-le-Moors, grew her hair for a year before finally getting it cut at their friend’s salon.
Her hair will now be donated to the Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment and other conditions.
Mum Zofia said they had originally planned to cut the All Saints’ CE Primary pupil’s hair last year, but were delayed due to lockdown restrictions.
It finally went ahead on Wednesday, August 18 - with help from Roop Hair and Beauty owner Aliya.
Zofia said: “She was treated like an absolute princess and she had 20 inches in total all cut off, and now she looks like Dora the Explorer!
“She’s so proud and so happy - I think it was me who was in shock, actually seeing it go from being so long that she used to sit on it and then suddenly it’s gone!
“We asked her how she was feeling and she said ‘amazing’ and she had this big smile on her face.”
Zofia says Ffion came up with the idea to donate her hair last year after a classmate had cut their hair in support of a relative who had cancer.
“She came home from school one day and said mum ‘I want to cut all my hair off’,” said Zofia.
“She’s always been precious about her hair. I did a little research and came across the Little Princess Trust.
“Then we got hit by lockdown so we couldn’t do full fundraising.
“Last week I said it’s the right time now with lockdown lifting - it all happened so quickly.”
Ffion was joined at the salon by Godparents Andrew Coote and Charlotte Stone, as well as dad Barry and siblings Charlotte, 15, George, 13, and Isla, two.
Older sister Gabrielle, 18, was unable to attend, but has donated to the online fundraiser which has raised £150 for the Trust.
Zofia said: “I am so proud. I felt nervous for her, she was so excited but my hands were shaking, my stomach was going like a washing machine.
“It’s a feeling that you can’t describe, it sounds daft; but you always try and tell your children to make things better for other people and that’s what she did.
“She’ll never meet the person and she’ll never see the wig - she did say goodbye to her hair, she held it and said ‘good luck’.”
To donate visit JustGiving.com and search for ‘Zofia Nightingale’.