Baldand beautiful!

Deepa Hariharan shaves her luscious locks to raise funds for cancersufferers

advertisingtheir World'sGreatest Shave campaign,oneof Australia's biggest fi.mdraisingevents,and Deepahad a lighrbulbmoment.

BYKIRA SPUCYS-TAHAR

Deepa Hariharan'sfriend Natalie Keevil passed awayrecently. A much-lovedmemberof Deepa's mothers'groupin Sydney's Ropes Crossing,Natalie lost her courageous battlewithan aggressi\7e form of braincancer.Another mum in the group, justdaysbefore givingbirchto her second child, ababyboy,wasdiagnosedwith breast cancer.

"It showedmehowunprecUcrable cancer canbe," Deepa,32,coldIndianLink. "I wasreallydownabout the whole situation andwantedto do sometl1ingfor chem, something to help."

The Leukaemia Foundation began

"Myoriginalgoalwastoraise$3000and Icrossedthat," she said. "I've sofarraised $3800.NowIwant tocrossthe $4000 mark!"

As part ofthe World's GreatestShave, people sign up co get sponsoredto shave, colour orwaxtheir hair. Committed to the cause, Deepachose tocornpletelyshave her hair.

The dayofme shavingwasn'teasy, though.

"Icriedandcried," Deepa said. "Ihad tissuesinmyhand,it was just reallydifficult and there were alot of emotions."

Mumtotwo-year-oldTiaand adevoted wife to husbandAjoy, several people told her she couldbackout and she didn'thave m shave her hair,but she persisted.

"Irwas about showing mydaughter that once you've committedcosomething,you gothroughwith it," Deepasaid.

With her mother here from India, standing byfor support,DeepaandAjoy ended up shaving their heads toged1er.

"Myhusbandjoinedme and Iwasso worriedbecause Ithought our daughter wouldn't recognise either ofus!Bmwhen wewent home, she justlookedat mewith noreactionandsaid, "Ob,mummycmher hair.'Soitwasfine."

Bmthe freshlyshavedhead rooksome gettingusedtofor Deepaherself.

"AcfirstIrefused tolookin the minor. I couldn't lookatmyself," she said. "Bm now, l reaUylike the wayIlook! When I finally looked in tbe mirror,I mought, 'l can pull chat off!' l'm mi.nking of keeping myhair thisway."

OriginallyfromMrnnbai,Deepamoved coAustraliasevenyears ago. She works as a contract coordinator in the CBD.

"I'mreaUyhappychat Idid it," Deepa said. ''I've been gettinglotsof complimems andpraise for takingpart inanoble cause.] justwantedtodo something togive back."

Blood cancersinclucUngleukaemia, lymphoma,myelomaandrelatedblood disorders cannotbe preventedandclaim the life of one Australianeverytwohours.The World'sGreatest Shave is the Leukaemia Foundation'smost significantfundraiser andhelpsgive familiestbe emotionaland practical support theyneed,and fund urgent researchto save more lives.

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