An eight-year-old girl from Downham is planning to chop off a huge 15 inches of her hair to donate to the Little Princess Trust.
Scarlett, eight, has been growing her hair for two and a half years in preparation to donate it as her idea began before the Covid pandemic hit.
As the UK went into lockdown, she decided to pause the idea and continue growing it as long as possible ready to have the chop when the world reopened.
Now, Scarlett’s hair sits just below her waist, and she is planning to have it cut to just above her shoulder on March 18, 2022.
Mum Holly says that Scarlett originally grew her hair because of her love for princess Rapunzel - as she admired how Rapunzel used her hair in the beloved Disney film, Tangled.
When Holly had a cancer scare a few years back, Scarlett had asked questions about the illness and how treatment can lead to people losing their hair.
Holly says her eight-year-old is “excited” to donate her locks to the charity but is becoming more nervous as the hair cut date creeps closer.
Holly told the News Shopper: “Inside, Scarlett is nervous because she's had her long hair for donkey's years.
“As she currently has thick, curly hair, it can feel heavy and pull on her.
“So, when she has it cut, it’ll feel so much lighter on her head.”
The Little Princess Trust is a charity that provides wigs made of real hair to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer.
Holly explained: “Scarlett asked a lot of questions about cancer, such as what is, can it go away and things like that.
“So, I explained it to her the best I possibly could, and she soon realised that children could get cancer and terminal illnesses.
“When Scarlett realised radiotherapy makes you lose your hair, she became really emotional and started to empathise with children her age and younger who had no hair.
“I told her that people who go through this treatment can buy wigs and showed her the Little Princess Trust and how they donate wigs to children.
“She soon asked me ‘if I cut my hair off, will they make a wig for children?’
“And from then, she decided she wanted to donate her own hair to the charity.”
Holly says Scarlett is aiming to raise £100, but says any donations would be “amazing”.
The GoFundMe page was created just days ago, and has already raised £70.
Holly says she is incredibly proud of Scarlett and that she is a “smart, little girl who is absolutely amazing”.
She added: “When the reality kicked in a few days ago, I told her she didn’t have to do it and it was completely her decision.
“But she was adamant that she wanted to follow it through and cut her hair.
“We recently visited the hairdressers to discuss the cut and Scarlett has picked out a bob hairstyle.”
Scarlett has let her school know of her upcoming hair appointment and Holly says that they, along with her friends and family are “extremely excited”.
Holly added: “Her entire family are so proud of her, including Scarlett’s auntie, Candice, who told her ‘not many eight year olds would make this brave decision’, so like me, she is immensely proud of her decision.”
You can donate to Scarlett’s go fund me here
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