Friends and family, I'm going to give up all 20" of my hair. That's right, I'm shaving my head! Why, you ask? As a pediatric psychologist working with kids with cancer at Children's Medical Center Dallas, almost every day the kids and teens I work with feel the impact of losing their hair because of their cancer treatment. Amongst all the side effects of the treatment they are going through, the hair loss is one of the most concrete and observable symbols of their journey. As one of my honor kids taught me, when treatment ends and the other side effects go away (all that fatigue, nausea, and vomiting) and the "fuzz" starts growing in, they still have a long wait for their hair to get back to the way it was before. Particularly for girls who had long hair, this is a long wait, indeed! So in support of all the kids who don't have a choice about losing their hair, I'm shaving it all off (after first donating the bulk of it for wigs)!
Through this process, I've chosen to honor three girls who have shown that despite all the changes cancer and its treatment is causing in their life, they actively use their strength, skills, creativity, personality, self-reflection, and sparkling personalities to take control of their journey and not let cancer get in the way of how they feel and what they want to do, no matter their age. Thanks Alexandra (4 years old), Alexia (11 years old), and Jessica (16 years old), for sharing your stories and being such great role-models for everyone who meets you. Please look for their stories on their web pages to get a glimpse of these dynamic girls.
To honor these amazing girls and all the incredible kids I work with, I'm shaving my head in solidarity with children who have cancer and typically lose their hair during treatment, while raising critical funds for childhood cancer research! In the US, more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease. Please make a donation on my behalf to support childhood cancer research so that all children diagnosed with cancer will have a better chance for a cure.
I've got 20 inches of hair to give!. If you'd like to support finding cures for childhood cancer, perhaps consider making a donation per inch. Whether it's $1 per inch or $100 per inch, every donation is greatly appreciated! To make a donation, click on "Make A Donation" or donate by mail or phone. Or come to the event, donate in person, and watch the girls shave me bald!
Thank you for your support!
