Locks of love

One might argue that fairytales are not reality. Perhaps life doesn't always end with "they lived happily ever after." But what if one tale was molded to fit our modern society. For example, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, donate that long hair!" Recently, there has been a charitable trend of modern day Rapunzels, courageously cutting off their locks for a greater cause.

In 1997, the organization Locks of Love was established with the purpose of providing hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under the age of 18 throughout the United States. These children suffer from long-term illnesses such as alopecia areata, a skin disease resulting in hair loss on the scalp and elsewhere on the body which has no known cause or cure, and cancer.

This unique and intimate non-profit foundation was created from the love and concern of a mother, Madonna W. Coffman. She writes on the Locks of Love Web site, "Exactly four years ago this summer, alopecia was touching my life. Each day I watched helplessly as my 4-year-old daughter lost more and more hair. It was a difficult time. Hair loss now touches my life from another angle as we attract the attention we'd hoped for from physicians we see these children being pointed in our direction."

Locks of Love meets the needs of children by creating the highest quality hair prosthetics from human hair donated by children and adults. Donations of all textures of hair from all races and age groups are highly encouraged, however 80 percent of the ponytails contributed are received from children.

In its first year, Locks of Love affected the lives of over 600 children, and the number of those helped is rapidly increasing. Thousands of bundles of hair arrive weekly from around the country, most personalized by supportive letters, photos and monetary donations.

Recently, Locks of Love has been in the public eye of several high-profile magazines, such as Lady's Home Journal and Redbook. Lisa Ling, from the daytime television show "The View," Queen Latifah, Wes Wade, a Kansas City professional soccer player, and Portia de Rossi from "Ally Mc Beal" are just a few of the many notable celebrities who support and have donated hair to this cause.

Even though these celebrities have jumped on board, the majority of the donations come from ordinary heroes or heroines with big hearts and long hair. Because of these people, the word has rapidly spread through grapevines, beauty salons and through circles of friends.

Sophomore Casey Foster said, "I cut 12 inches of my hair last June when one of my friends from home told me about cutting her hair for this cause. At first I was nervous about cutting my hair, but it made me feel better knowing that a child could have it. I can always grow my hair back but they can't."

This cause has also touched the life of freshman Farrah Khan when she was diagnosed with one of the diseases that this foundation gives hairpieces to.

"Two and a half years ago, a huge section of hair around my left ear fell out," Khan said. "It was just one of those things that randomly happened overnight. A month later, with still no signs of hair growth in that area, I decided to visit the doctor. After a series of blood tests and examinations, I was diagnosed with alopecia areata and told that my hair would probably grow back in six months, which it did. Luckily, I haven't had any more complications, but last year a girl on my school gymnastics team told me about Locks of Love and I have recently decided to donate my hair. I don't want people to go through what I experienced."

Well over four million people in the United States alone live with alopecia areata. This number doesn't include cancer patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy.

Thanks to Locks of Love, children battling these diseases now have the ability to be given a custom vacuum fit hair prosthetic. The vacuum fit is designed for children over 6 years old and does not require the use of tape or glue. It takes anywhere from 10 to 15 ponytails of the same hair type, texture and color to make just one hairpiece. These ponytails have to be 10 inches or longer since most of the children helped are girls. Young ladies most commonly ask for long hair and two inches of the 10 are used in the manufacturing process, leaving only eight in length.

Boy's hairpieces can be made from shorter lengths, but girls usually desire 12 to 14 inches of hair.
Sophomore Danielle Wolfe understands this girlish desire. She said, "It's pretty awesome to know that I am making someone happy. Doing something as simple as donating my cut hair can give a little girl a step in confidence and make her feel beautiful."

Girls approach Locks of Love more often than boys because they don't feel socially accepted without hair. Boys can get away with short, shaved or even no hair, and it is typically not noticeable.
By doing something as simple as donating one's hair, a child is provided with the confidence of feeling like they look healthy.

"Our greatest joy is knowing that these children are able to be children again," Coffman wrote. "They are back in school, participating in sports, but most importantly they are smiling ... They are direct examples of the power of self-esteem and positive attitudes."

When enough ponytails are collected, one hair prosthetic starts at the retail price of $3,000. However, Locks of Love covers the cost.

Many students feel that by donating their hair, they are doing a kindness of intangible worth.
Sophomore Shannon Lively said, "It's important to give something of yourself, and by cutting your hair you are also making a statement. My mom influenced me to donate my hair when she decided to cut hers for a family member of mine."

Khan said, "I feel really good about donating my hair. It is such a thoughtless act of giving and doesn't require much effort. Your hair may be hard to part with, but think of the difference you could make in the lives of those going through chemotherapy."

Foster said, "A few weeks after you mail in your hair, they send you a thank-you card, notifying you that your hair is being turned into a wig. If I ever grow my hair out again, I won't even think twice about donating it."