Media Stories

Supporting Samantha through Foundation

Featured on: Lake Villa Review

Article By: Marcia Sagendorph 

Bald is beautiful.

That is the mantra behind the St. Baldrick's Foundation which sponsors head-shaving events around the world to show solidarity with kids fighting cancer. It is the world's largest volunteer-driven fund-raising program for childhood cancer research.

When the Paris Hair Salon in Grayslake hosted a St. Baldrick's event on March 7, Jonathan Broomhead was a "shavee."

He had his head shaved bald in honor of his 5-year-old daughter Samantha. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year, and had surgery two days after her diagnosis. Since then, she has endured six weeks of radiation and nine cycles of chemotherapy, which caused her hair to fall out.

Her father said that shaving his head to match hers, in order to raise funds for research, was easy.

"It took about 5 minutes to shave my head. Whatever we can do to help raise awareness, we'll do," he said.

His wife, Yvette, agreed as she helped Samantha and her 4-year-old sister Paige color while some people had their heads shaved at Paris Hair Salon.

"It means a lot to have people participate in this event because in order to find a cure for childhood cancer, it takes money," said Yvette Broomhead. "We're doing whatever we can to help because no child should have to endure what she has had to endure."

The St. Baldrick's Foundation supports and funds research institutions to find new cures for childhood cancer, and helps ensure patients and survivors have a better quality of life. The organization was founded in 2000. It has raised over $6 million worldwide so far this year through events like the one in Grayslake. According to their Web site, a child is diagnosed with childhood cancer every 3.5 minutes. Each year, 160,000 children are diagnosed with cancer worldwide.

"We just want to help spread the word," said Jonathan Broomhead of Grayslake.

In 2009, the St. Baldrick's Foundation raised over $16 million and had over 33,000 shavees who went bald at 630 events, according to their Web site www.stbaldricks.org . Friends and family members donate to the foundation to support life-saving research.

Amy Pasenelli of Grayslake, Paris Hair Salon owner and event organizer, said this is the first time she has hosted a St. Baldrick's event. Her salon just opened in December at 549 N. Barron Blvd. (Rt. 83).

"I think it's a great cause," Pasenelli said. "Our goal was to raise $2,000. We have already collected over $3,000."

While grown men had their heads shaved a few feet away, Samantha colored quietly nearby.

"She is doing great," Yvette Broomhead said of her daughter. "Through all of this, she has become a very independent child. She knows what she wants. But she is also very loving and caring."

Donations are accepted at www.stbaldricks.org/events/grayslake or by calling Amy Pasenelli at (847) 223-2105.

A future St. Baldrick's fund-raiser is scheduled for 3 p.m., April 18 at Emil's Tavern on Center, 161 Center Street, Grayslake. It is billed as Lake County's largest St. Baldrick's event.

Caption: Samantha Broomhead, 5, of Grayslake checks out her dad Jonathan's head March 7 after he had it shaved during the St. Baldrick's event at Paris Hair Design. (Photo By Joe Shuman/for Sun-Times Media)