Donating My Hair to Pantene

When my friend Rissa was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, I knew I had to do something to help her. She lives on the other side of the United States but I still did not let that stop me. I knew I had to do something meaningful.

I educated myself and found I could not donate marrow or stem cells but I could donate another way. I figured out a way that I could make a meaningful donation in her honor. She is in remission, which is great, and this needs to be celebrated. I cut my hair in honor of my friend Rissa, whom is a big inspiration to me. On January 21, 2011, my long hair was cut to just above my shoulders. This is my way of giving back.

Since 1998, I have kept my hair long. I loved to braid it and put it in buns. My hair was a pain in the butt at times when the wind would catch it, or I would accidentally catch it in things. In the last few years, it pretty much hung down to mid-back length. It was pretty, and it was heavy because it's also thick.

My long hair is being donated to an organization, which will in turn make a wig for someone who is undergoing chemo treatment for cancer. I am donating my ponytail to Pantene Beautiful Lengths program. I chose this program because after the wigs are made they are passed to the American Cancer society who then distributes the wigs to women who need them

The photo attached is my ponytail, which was removed according to the hair donation requirements. My ponytail is laying a regular sheet of printer paper; the braid lies across the longest piece of the paper and hangs over. The braid measured just less than 12 inches of blonde hair.

I chose to donate my hair because as a heart attack survivor I cannot donate bone marrow or the stem cells, which could help someone. Donating my hair made me feel great. I am not sad at all about such a drastic cut because I know the hair will make a real difference for someone.

Become A Donor:

A person can join the registry and give bone marrow to a person with cancer. Of course, there are medical conditions one must meet. At the registry one can learn more about the two ways to help which are blood stem cell donation and of course the bone marrow donation itself.

Resources:

http://www.giveforward.com/rissasbattle

http://www.marrow.org/JOIN/Myths_%26_Facts_about_Marrow_Don/index.html

http://www.squidoo.com/donateyourhair

http://www.locksoflove.org/

http://www.pantene.com/en-US/beautiful-lengths-cause/Pages/default.aspx?TID=476095ff-5118-405f-9210-4734ab2da4a5

http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/133814/rissa_watkins.html