Posted by: hannaheath on 02/27/2008 05:27 PM
Updated by: Kim_Hamilton on 02/28/2008 08:24 PM
Expires: 01/01/2013 12:00 AM
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Student Donates Hair for Locks of Love ~By Hanna Heath
Angels Camp, CA... 22 year old Alishia Mares from Angels Camp, has been growing her hair out for several years in hopes to donate 10 inches to Locks of Love. Last week she measured her hair and finally reached her goal of 10 inches. Her hair measured a total of 10 1/2 inches after they straightened the flock out on the table....
  
Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. We meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics.
Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.
After speaking with Alishia and asking her, what were your reasons for donating your hair? She replied "I wanted to be apart of a cause that allowed me to help young children who don’t have hair, I think donating hair that will someday grown back is a perfect way to help the community. My good childhood friend had Leukemia and it hurt to see that she lost all her hair and I still had a head full of hair, I felt helpless then, but now i feel proud," said Mares.
The organization, which began operation 1998, has helped over 2,000 children to date. Thousands of bundles of donated hair arrive as a result of the internet and word of mouth as well as publicity Locks of Love receives in newspapers, magazines and on television programs.
Donors provide the hair, volunteers open and sort the donations, and the manufacturer hand-assembles each piece, which requires approximately four to six months. Children comprise over 80 percent of the donors, making this a charity where children have the opportunity to help other children.
Locks of Love provides its recipients with a custom, vacuum-fitted hairpiece made entirely from donated human hair. The vacuum fit is designed for children who have experienced a total loss of scalp hair and does not require the use of tape or glue. Most of the applicants suffer from an auto-immune condition called alopecia areata, for which there is no known cause or cure. Others have suffered severe burns, or endured radiation treatment to the brain stem, in addition to many other dermatological conditions that result in permanent hair loss.
Donated hair is evaluated for its usefulness according to the following guidelines:
1. The donated hair must be at least 10 inches in length
2. It must be bundled in a pony tail or braid
3. Hair must be free of bleach. Colored hair and permed is acceptable.
4. The hair must be clean and dry, placed in a plastic bag, and mailed in a padded envelope to:
Locks of Love, 2925 10th Avenue N., Suite 102
Lake Worth, FL 33461-3099
Alishia will be sending her hair out early this week and she says "when I send my hair out to Locks of Love I will feel GREAT! “I may be helping one child or many children, but over all this was a very rewarding experience."
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