Schoolgirl donates her hair to charity

Maisey Reynolds, 10, has her hair cut and donated to be made into wigs for people who have had chemotherapy or who have alopecia. Maisey's holding up her donated hair, which has been cut by Tracy Fletcher from Revive Hair and Beauty.

A TEN-YEAR-OLD girl has sacrificed her long locks to help others.

Maisie Reynolds, from Murton, County Durham, has donated 12 inches of her hair to the Little Princess Trust, which provides real-hair wigs to children suffering hair loss.

Maisie, a pupil at Murton’s Ribbon Academy, was inspired to have the chop by her gran, Christine, who wore wigs before dying of breast cancer aged 53.

“I’m really excited because I really want to donate my hair,” said Maisie. “My nana had cancer and I want to help others.”

Maisie’s mum, Donna, 34, said: “I wouldn’t usually have let her have it done, but she wanted to do it. It’s for a good cause so you can’t ask questions.”

Impressed by Maisie’s new shorter look, cousin Jordan Emmerson, 21, is now planning to have hers trimmed for charity.

But Revive Hair and Beauty, in Durham Place, Murton, is still appealing for more people to donate their hair.

Owner Tracey Fletcher said: “If they are willing to donate at least seven inches, we won’t charge them for the haircut.”

Tracey got involved after taking a wig-making course provided by the charity.

She said: “I received a letter from the Little Princess Trust to say they were struggling to get hair.

“I put it on the salon Facebook page and there has been quite a lot of interest. We’ve only been going for a week.

“We just have to make sure it’s been washed and has no product in it. Then we send it off in the post and they will receive a certificate.”

The Little Princess Trust charity manager Monica Glass said: “On behalf of everyone connected with the Little Princess Trust, I would like to thank Maisie for choosing to support the charity in this way.

“It is truly heartening to hear of someone so young thinking of others first.

“Maisie is very brave to donate such a large amount of hair. I am sure her family and friends are very proud of her and rightly so.

“This donation will help us provide even more wigs to children that have sadly lost their own hair through cancer treatment.”

Launched in 2006, the Little Princess Trust provides individually tailored wigs for children suffering from cancer and other conditions such as alopecia.

To date, it has helped more than 1,200 children throughout the UK and Ireland.

If anyone would like to donate their hair, call the salon on 526 8555.

Twitter: @SunEchoSteven