“Five, four, three, two, one. Cut it off,” is heard over the microphone as more than 10 inches of hair gets cut from a donator’s head.
More than 15 women donated their hair to Locks of Love during Y-Days last Friday. Each donator was paired with her own stylist, as hair was sectioned, measured and then cut off. Long ponytails were held up for pictures, as each woman documented her accomplishment.
[/media-credit]“I think it’s such a great cause,” said Crystal Farrell, studying accounting, from Franklin, Mass. “I have a friend that’s a cancer survivor and a mom.”
Farrell communicated with her friend before the Locks of Love event. Farrell was deciding whether or not to donate her hair. In messages sent through Facebook, Farrell was convinced that she wanted to donate her hair.
“I know it’s just hair, but it may be the one thing that gives you the courage to get out of the house each morning,” Farrell read from a written message. “From a cancer survivor’s perspective, donating hair is truly a selfless act.”
Meilina Moore, studying elementary music education, and her sister, Sara Moore, studying communications, chose to donate their hair at the same time. They have a personal connection with the effects that cancer can have on a family.
“Our aunt had breast cancer so it’s a little closer to home,” Meilina said. “I’ve thought about what it would be like not to have hair and still feel feminine and beautiful.”
Sara said her decision to donate was based partially on her aunt and partially because of her love for little kids.
“My aunt is one of my heroes and I’ve thought about how hard it would be to go through cancer,” Sara said.
Program director for BYU’s Locks of Love event, Vanesa Crowfoot, said that most recipients of the wigs that are made through the donations are given to children with alopecia.
“Some people don’t have food so people give them food, some people don’t have clothes, so people give them clothes,” Crowfoot said. “These little kids don’t have hair and Locks of Love provides hair for them.”
Hair school Paul Mitchell cut and styled the donator’s hair for free. When asked about their experience, Judy Richards, a member of the Paul Mitchell staff, said that they help with this event at least twice a year.
“Paul Mitchell really wants to give back,” Richards said. “We want to make sure that our students are learning to live a life that gives back.”
Three years, two years and four years were the length of time that some of these women have been growing out their hair in order to donate it to Locks of Love. Several agreed that they will definitely repeat this experience of donating their hair.
A Locks of Love event will be held again in April. Volunteers can donate their hair throughout the year by contacting BYU Locks of Love at locksoflove.byu.edu.
