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- Model gets 'the chop' to help kids with alopecia
Model gets 'the chop' to help kids with alopecia
On M
onday January 16th at 10am, 22 year old, Brisbane model Amy Jarvis will be taking scissors to her luxurious, long locks and cutting off her hair for a very special cause. Amy plans to donate her hair for use as a wig for a child suffering with alopecia, a medical condition where individuals loose their hair permanently, for which there is currently no known cause or cure. She is also hoping that others will sponsor her effort to raise funds for other kids needing wigs.
Amy is planning to donate the money she raises to Variety, the children’s charity, which fund human hair suction wigs for children. The wigs are unique in that a suction mechanism allows individuals to go swimming and play sport without the wig falling off. For kids with alopecia, these wigs make it possible to do everything and anything other kids do and therefore do wonders for helping restore their self esteem. However, as they are made from real human hair and take many hours to manufacture, with 16-19 ponytails required to make just one wig, each one costs around $3,000. .
It was after a family member was diagnosed with cancer, that Amy began considering what it would be like to be bald at a young age and sought ways to help. Through her research she learnt about alopecia and was inspired to help. She explains, “I’ve always had long hair and just couldn’t imagine going through school with my hair falling out or no hair at all, like so many young people do when they suffer from alopecia. When I heard that I could donate my own hair to be used to make wigs for these children I decided I would get the chop.”
Amy is hoping to inspire others to do the same or at least make a donation to this worthwhile cause. “With cancer treatment, the hair will almost always grow back, but for those suffering with alopecia it usually never does. I’m hoping that by doing something as simple as cutting off my hair I can change a child’s life by restoring their self esteem and making living with alopecia that tad more bearable,” says Amy.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
To donate towards a human hari suction wig for a child with alopecia visit Amy's fundraising page http://www.gofundraise.com.au/page/AmyJarvis