Why am I shaving my head, and why should you care? Spoiler alert: it's about more than hair or cancer.
Bear with me here, folks, I'm not good at telling short (and sometimes even linear stories!) I can't say exactly when it started but it was probably during my rebellious teen years that the desire to shave my head first surfaced. Every time I would voice my desire, I would hear "You can't do that! Your hair is too pretty!" While this sentiment is intended as a compliment, it always made me feel a bit...sullied and unusual. Despite my usual headstrong stubbornness, for whatever reason, I never actually went through with shaving my head. That is, until 2022.
Probably born out of a major life transition I was going through at the time, (who wasn't going through a transition in the middle of the pandemic!?) I finally decided to take control of something. And that something was my hair. I decided to boldly declare that it was my hair and I was going to do with it what I wanted. But if it was going to be a major change, I wanted it to be worth it and for it to mean something, to be bigger than a personal hair statement.
I first encountered St. Baldrick's at college in Austin, Texas and took a peak at their fundraising efforts back in 2005. So their website was the first place I went when I decided to shave my head. My original $1000 goal, which seemed exorbitant to me at the time, was completely blown out of the water and, thanks to so many donors from so many different areas of my life, we successfully raised $3000 for the St. Baldrick's Foundation! I also donated over 12 inches of my curly, red hair to Wigs for Kids.
While the beginning was selfish, the decision was born out of a need to control something, and the fundraising was astounding, the most incredible part of this journey was the profound impact my fundraising had on my perspectives and my heart. As I was preparing to shave my head, I was confronted with many emotions and convictions, but this one stands out most: We tell children (and all people) going through hair loss (whether due to cancer treatments or other medical causes) that beauty comes from within. And yet, how many of us refuse to embrace that about ourselves? And, if we are honest, how often do we judge the beauty of others based on their appearance?
This journey of head shaving made me take a deep, hard look at myself and how I valued my own beauty in something as temporary as hair, or how I actually wasn't truly seeking the inner beauty in my fellow human being. I hope that shaving my head may have impacted some child with cancer somewhere, but I am also so incredibly grateful for the way the journey changed and shaped my heart into a more loving human being. I love that something so challenging as conquering kids' cancer can provide opportunities for personal growth for the participants. I hope that you will join me, even if you're not shaving, in this worthwhile work and effort. Every little bit makes a difference!
A little info on St. Baldrick's :
A challenge among friends 25 years ago has become the largest volunteer movement to Conquer Kids’ Cancer. This year, I’m joining thousands of others to shave my head to raise money for childhood cancer research!
Did you know, 1 in 5 kids diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. won’t survive? For those who do, more than 96% have severe or life-threatening conditions by the time they are 50.
Each shaved head, every dollar donated, creates a ripple effect of progress for kids with cancer.
Your gift will give kids and their families hope, supporting the best research across the country, through the largest charity funder of childhood cancer research grants, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
Together, let’s give these kids the lifetime they deserve. Thank you for your support!
