When I was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago (age 13), I really had no idea what was happening or what was going to happen to me. All I knew is that I was really sick! Loosing my hair was a very hard part to having cancer, because for any teenage girl, that’s what defines you. My father tried telling it to me in a very nice way, and so when we were on the way to my oncologist to get all the details and descriptions about treatment and what was going to happen, my father explained to me that with this medication unfortunately I’m going to loose my hair. I was in complete shock! It couldn’t be happening to me! When I was on the ward a few days before, meeting the doctor the first time, I had seen lots of bald people, but I didn’t think it was actually going to happen to me. I turned to my father and asked ‘all of it?’ Here my father had tears in his eyes and was holding them back as he said ‘all of it.’ It was completely shocking to me and I was numb. It’s something I’ll never forget. I remember exactly where we were and I remember my fathers face as he said it. The rest of the journey was completely silent. Later on in the hospital, when waiting to see the doctor, it hit me and I burst into tears. I wasn’t going to have any hair and I’m going to look like all these people in the hospital. If I thought that was the end of the bad news and my doctor was going to tell me better news, I was wrong. He explained a lot of things which is even too much for adults, which made me even more scared as he really wasn’t positive about things. That evening was first night pesach. Pesach is meant to be a nice yom tov, but it wasn’t for me. Besides the fact that I was really weak and ill, I kept thinking about how I’m going to look without hair. I would walk over to the mirror every few minutes, put my hands to my head and block my hair from showing. Every time I would start crying, because I couldn’t imagine myself without hair. 

Right after pesach, we went to get a wig for myself. It was nice and sad at the same time. My mother was broken as she watched the person cut some of my hair for the wig colour and for baby hairs. She couldn’t believe she has to get her 13 year old daughter a wig! 

Chemotherapy started and as expected my hair started falling out. It was a disaster! I didn’t want to cut my hair, because I didn’t want to believe it was falling out and so it all clumped up into one huge knot and every time my mother tried brushing it, it would just come out onto the brush and I was like, ok don’t brush my hair, I don’t want it to come out! It looked a sight and I felt all horrible with everything going on and with my hair coming out just made me more miserable. One day, my parents took me out for a walk to the park, because I hadn’t been out. I was really weak and collapsed on the first park bench, and whilst I was leaning on my father, he got completely covered in hair. Not wanting me to see, he rolled up the clump of hair and threw it into the river. 

After some time I lost all my hair and my wig was a lifesaver! It made me feel more comfortable and normal. It was amazing! The hair was donated by some really special people whom don’t even know what they are doing when they donate their hair. They make someone who is bald and is going through a difficult time much more comfortable! 

Baruch Hashem, after I finished the gruelling 6 months of treatment, my hair started growing back really nicely! When my hair started growing back, I decided that I really want to donate my hair to someone else with cancer. At first when my hair was a bit longer, I wasn’t sure, as i had such nice hair, but then I was like I should donate my hair just because it is nice! Someone with cancer deserves to have a nice wig. 

Almost 4 years after my hair started growing back, it is finally long enough to donate and as thanks to Hashem for giving me back even nicer hair than before, I am IYH donating my hair at the next hair cutting event which is around Chanukah time! 

This is my part of showing that I care for kids with cancer, and now it’s your turn to show that u care too! I’m sure all of you would like to do something for cancer patients and you could. By donating you are giving a child a chance to look like a regular kid. Please support me in this great cause and donate generously! 

I wish you all to be healthy and never know of any suffering I had to go through!

Thank you all so much!