Hair today; gone to cancer patients
I'm donating my hair.
After deciding a little less than a year ago (right after Lily found out she had cancer, actually), my hair is finally long enough to cut and donate to some organization that makes wigs for cancer patients.
Have you ever donated your hair?
Where did you send it?
Locks of Love?
Pantene Beautiful Lengths?
Childhood Leukemia Foundation (Hugs-U-Wear)?
Children with Hairloss?
Do you know anyone who has received a wig from any of these places?
I would place special weight on opinions from someone who actually received a wig made of donated hair.
My appointment is one week from today.
Happy New Year!
13 comments:
I haven't but my Mom donated to locks of Love several times. One of my cousins had cancer when we were kids and she did recieve a wig but I'm not sure from which charity.
I still have mine from when I turned the big 4-0 last year. I was going to donate to Locks of Love, but then I heard horror stories from my hairdresser about warehouses filled with hair not being used. Since I had never heard that before, I hesitated and didn't send it. It's a relief to see there are other places I could send it now.
Roses, that is fan-dang-tastic!
Nope! Got no experience at all with any such thing. However, I talked to an old hippie-biker-Vietnam vet the other day at the hospital who had twice donated.
He was in Memphis, and the place that made the wigs was right near St. Jude's. (Sorry, not much detail there). But, he did mention that the funding to make the wigs was not there when he donated, so he paid to have the wigs made.
Wish I could provide more details. Oh wait a minute...I do know a young man that has donated twice, and can put you in touch with his Mom by e-mail. She would be more than happy to give her advice. I don't have your e-mail address, so e-mail me at justandysplace@gmail.com I'll pass C.J.'s e-mail address to you. Trust me, she will be more than happy to tell you what she knows.
I donated to locks of love, but I don't know anyone that has received a wig.
I think the Locks of Love warehouses-full is due to lack of funding, also. Sometimes they sell hair/wigs to other places to make money to make wigs for cancer patients...
BTW, Andy, I have an e-mail posted over on the right above my pic. :)
Duh! My wife says I have "male pattern blindness," and she's right.
I donated to Wigs for Kids. http://www.wigsforkids.org/
I had really long hair though. They want at least a 12" ponytail.
You made me think. I did some research and found this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/fashion/06locks.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
It talks about what they do with the hair, how much is usable, what it goes for. I did choose Pantene for a few reasons. One as I stated in a previous comment still in moderation, they required LESS hair. But also, I thought they might have more of the financial resources to make a wig happen. Lastly, I did want it to go to cancer patients. It's not that I think alapecia isn't a bad thing, it is, but I have too many gfs who have lost hair to cancer and that was just my gig.
Anyway, interesting and honest article.
I'm sorry, Bou. I must have lost your previous comment. I don't see it in moderation. :-(
I botched it up. I think I had a user interface problem... ;-)
Basically it said I did Pantene because they took less hair. I found out as I was growing it out that it was harder for me at 40+ years to grow it out and keep it healthy. My hairdresser confirmed... it's really hard for middle aged women (blech) to grow long hair. It definitely takes longer. And at 40+ years, my pony tail is signficantly smaller. I'm destined to be one of those fluffy haired old ladies, trying to hide their scalp. Dang.
I hear that, Bou. At age 44, I have one skinny-ass ponytail.
And by the time I'd grow another one long enough, it'll be too gray to donate it.
Thbbbt!
You've inspired me to just let my hair grow now until I can donate it. I have pretty hair. I might as well!
Thanks.
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