special report
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SPECIAL REPORT
Charlotte Peters has an inspiring cut for a cause After seeing one of her friends lose her hair during chemotherapy treatment, this six-year-old from Emu Heights has shown a level of maturity well beyond her years and donated her own hair to charity...
Charlotte Peters had 30 centimetres of her hair cut off. Photo: Selah Photography
here are not many women who would consider cutting off their long, luscious locks of hair, but one six-year-old in Emu Heights has shown she has more courage than most of us.
Friday 30 May 2014 the western weekender • west life
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CASSANDRA O’CONNOR @cassandra_o
Charlotte Peters is currently sporting a very pretty bob hair cut, but the story behind her decision to cut off 30 centimetres of her hair is truly inspiring. “My best friend’s little girl, Evie, she’s just about to turn three, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma just after she turned two,” explained Charlotte’s mother, Jacqueline Peters. “She recently went through chemotherapy and lost her hair, but it is now
starting to grow back. About six weeks ago we had spent the afternoon visiting Evie and on the way home Charlotte and I were talking in the car about how Evie’s hair is growing back. “Charlotte said to me, ‘It’s so unfair that I have long hair and Evie doesn’t have any, I wish I could just give her my hair’.” Jacqueline explained to Charlotte that it wasn’t possible to give Evie her hair but that it was possible that she could help other kids like Evie. Neuroblastoma almost exclusively strikes infants and children, and is the third most common type of childhood cancer after Leukaemia and brain tumours. It is also the leading single cause of cancer deaths of children under five. Apart from cancer there are also other conditions such as auto-immune disease Alopecia, which result in permanent hair loss and for which there is no cure. Chil-
dren who have Alopecia often struggle emotionally with their baldness. “When we got home I Googled whether it would be possible for Evie to donate her hair and we came across Variety, the Children’s Charity,” Jacqueline said. “I really liked their Princess Charlotte Alopecia program, the name was a funny coincidence, because it has a focus on children like Evie, and the wigs are especially made so that children can even shower and go swimming with them.” Jacqueline admits that she was a little sad that Charlotte wanted to cut her hair off, but also incredibly proud. “Yes I was a little sad, but there was no talking her out of it, it was completely her idea, so we booked in to the hair dresser’s,” she said. The hair dresser upon hearing about the reason for the hair cut kindly offered to cut Charlotte’s hair for free. Evie’s mum also
got her hair cut to donate too. Charlotte says that she really likes her new hair cut. “I just wanted to cut my hair because Evie was sick,” she said. “I like my hair short because it is not as tangled and knotted.” Jacqueline said that even some of Charlotte’s school friends said they wanted to cut their hair short too. The Peters don’t know who might receive the wig made from Charlotte’s pony tail, but they are happy knowing that it has gone to a child in need. And the family does know what a difference the wig will make. “My mother had cancer and she wore a wig. I went shopping with her and it can be difficult to find the right colour and hair cut or style,” Jacqueline said. “Hair really is such an important part of a woman’s identity.” Variety is hoping others will follow in