Thursday, October 29, 2009

Donating Hair

I just came across a blog entry about donating hair. The blogger posted this link:
http://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2008-03-14/news/long-and-short-it/

If there is anyone out there reading this and living in Canada, perhaps the agency mentioned in the article might be of interest to you.

Here is a confession for you...!

I got my hair cut last December, about 15 inches. It is braided, in a bag, in my dresser, waiting for me to figure out what agency I should send it to. Beyond pathetic, I know.

I did some research months ago, but was not successful in finding a reputable-sounding agency.

If someone can direct me to an agency that will really use my hair to make a wig for a cancer patient, I would very much appreciate it.

I am hoping that next summer my hair will be long enough for another donation. Agencies look for at least 10 inches of hair.

If you can't donate your hair, I am sure you can do something else. Go give blood, instead, for example. Or, volunteer at a local oncology unit.

2 comments:

  1. Is Locks of Love any good? I've heard of several people who donate to them.

    Since children's cancer is, of course, "my cause," I can tell you that many places with children's oncology departments have an outpatient center, and the outpatient center generally has playrooms and things like that. They also have a professional called a Certified Child Life Specialist in pediatrics departments and at children's oncology centers. The child life specialist helps kids get through procedures, explains them in ways that they can understand, maintains the playroom, coordinates events, and makes friends with the kids, being one of the only people that doesn't do anything to the kids that they don't like, such as sticking them or giving them icky medicine.

    You'd want to contact the CCLS for info on what a particular center might need.

    ReplyDelete
  2. We donated to Pantene Beautiful Lengths last year. It sounded like a reasonable program, and they make wigs for adult women with cancer. Apparently going to work without hair is one of the more difficult emotional parts of the process. Our coworker had breast cancer last year, so five of us went together, and three donated. They have a mailing address.

    I did find it very difficult to judge the quality of any program. Nonprofits are frustrating in that way sometimes.

    ReplyDelete