Locks
of Love: A Personal Gift Story
by K. Andarin Arvola Most of us remember
the Old Testament story of Samson and Delilah. Samson fell in love
with Delilah. She was bribed by the Philistines, and discovered that
his strength came from his hair, which had never been cut. While
he was asleep it was cut, Samson was drained of his strength, and
the Philistines were able to
capture him. Hair is important to most of us. Remember the musical Hair? How about
the movie Shampoo? Notice the comb-overs of men going bald; the billions
of dollars spent annually on hair care by both men and women. It’s especially important to children with hair loss and that’s where Florida-based Locks of Love comes to the “rescue.” The
opposite of Samson and Delilah happens with Locks of Love; by cutting
and donating their hair for hairpieces, local north coast residents
empower young people across the nation and often themselves. Madonna Coffman, a retired nurse, knows firsthand about hair loss. In her twenties, she developed alopecia and recovered. When her then four-year-old daughter developed the condition, she knew she needed to do something. “After watching my child go through this, and
knowing there was no medical cure made me want to help less-fortunate
children,” she says. After researching companies that make custom hairpieces, Coffman incorporated Locks of Love in 1997. Who Needs Locks Others have been victims of severe burns, endured radiation treatment to the brain stem as a treatment for cancer, or suffer from any number of skin disorders that cause permanent hair loss. To Get Locks Benefits to Children Wearing a hairpiece is certainly not a cure for these children, but it can help restore some of the normalcy to their everyday lives that most of us take for granted. It’s the goal of Locks of Love to help provide a foundation on which they can begin to rebuild their self-esteem. Why Locks are Needed The hair prosthetics Locks of Love provides are custom-made from donated ponytails for each child’s head. They retail between $3,500 to $6,000. The hairpiece forms a vacuum seal, like a suction cup, and does not require the use of tape or glue. Only the wearer of the hairpiece may remove it, by breaking the vacuum seal at the temples. Children can dismiss insecurities about classmates pulling off their hairpiece, or losing it at recess. They can swim, shower and do gymnastics—in short, they can be kids again. Each hairpiece is made from real human hair, and arrives long, so the recipient may style it to fit their face. A Personal
Gift Like many of us,
Jill Lydick wears a lot of hats. She’s the
assistant manager at the Fort Bragg Community Federal Credit Union
and the coordinator for the last two events to gather hair for children
with hair loss through Locks of Love. “I heard about it, looked it up, got approved for the event and
went from there,” she tells me. “I contacted Head Hunters,
a salon in Fort Bragg, to see if they’d be interested, and Rosanna
Raymann, the owner, offered immediately. They were so excited and open
to it. Then I found out that Linda Lester [also at Head Hunters] had
lost a daughter to leukemia and we decided to do the event in Tamara
Fenton’s honor. I thought, ‘this was meant to be.’” Lydick speaks
with reverence about the people who donate their hair. “There’s
so much enthusiasm. It’s so personal for each of them. The corners
of your mouth go up as the hair comes off, for everyone.” She tells me about
a woman in her forties who’d never cut her
hair because her father hadn’t wanted her to; she “removed
it with love” after his death. Another woman brought in her mother-in-law’s
carefully preserved hair that was twenty years old. A woman and her
three daughters all donated their hair. “Some people have gotten
drastic. ‘Spike
it,’ they say.” “It’s a big transformation. Some of the people with very
long hair don’t know what to do with their new hair cut, but
they work with a stylist and that helps,” explains Lydick. Locks of Love
inspired Fort Bragg resident Lorena Shea to donate her hair. What
I always remember about her are the two long, long braids that she
skillfully wrapped around her head. When she had skull surgery, the
hospital cut off one of those long braids and shaved her head. She
saved the braid. She knew she’d cut the other half, and then
a cousin told her about Locks of Love. Shea heard they were cutting
hair locally so she decided to donate the other braid as well. Shea
tells me people ask if she’s going to grow it long again but
she says, “I don’t think I have another thirty-five years
to grow it.” Then there’s Sandy Rambolt, the first person to get his (yes,
his) hair cut in 2007. “I was familiar with Locks of Love and
talked to Jill about donating my hair. I was tired of long hair,” he
explains. “I was going to get it cut anyway. It’s The credit union
sponsors the event and serves refreshments. “When
we get done, we line up all the hair on a long table at the credit
union; it’s just beautiful, all the colors and textures,
especially the hair from young people, it’s In 2006 she had
a broken leg and was on crutches but “no way
was I going to miss this.” Plus, she had her hair cut so she
could donate it. That year they collected twenty ponytails, forty-four
in 2007 and thus far five in 2008. People can donate any time of the
year and bring it into the credit union, she informs me. Other salons that provided people to cut hair were Taj Mahair, Studio
3, and Head to Toe. Haircuts with
Love In 1964, Tamara
was the New Year’s Baby in Miami, Oklahoma. Tamara
was eleven-years-old when she died. “It was real hard,” says
Lester. “Before she died, Tamara said she wanted to be buried
in California in a long pink dress, and she was.” It’s still difficult for Lester; her eyes shine with tears as
we talk. “When I see girls that look like Tamara, it’s
hard. I still have the scars, but to me everything has a purpose. It’s
important to me to help. It makes me feel good to help. I have an angel
in heaven looking down saying, ‘Good for you, Mom.’” Although the event
has only been going on formally for two years, people can come in
throughout the year to donate. Lester has two appointments with young
girls in early June who are donating their hair. “They
can call me any time at Head Hunters,” she says. “It’s the gratitude that comes of being able to share,
of giving something that’s important to them.” says Lester. “They’re
giving from their heart and of themselves. They’re not here to
get something. What more can you give than to give of yourself. That’s
priceless.” “I wish you could see through my eyes,” she continues. “When
these kids are bald-headed, people look at them, then the change when
they get the wig—they glow. They fit in. In her last picture
Tamara had on her wig and she had the biggest smile.” Most of the people
who cut hair call themselves something, and Tanya Sousa, owner the
Style Salon in Fort Bragg, says she’s a hair
magician. “I’ve
been doing this for at least ten years,” she
tells me. “Informally through Locks of Love. But Jill Lydick
said ‘let’s make it a party around the holidays so people
can give.’ The haircut and styling is free and it’s a good
way to meet new people,” she adds. Sousa says that
in the 1970s her salon used to send in hairpieces and wigs to an
organization so they could be donated for cancer patients. “It’s
the way Fort Bragg is, people help out.” Nancy Acosta,
who works at Style Salon, says “It’s great
to see the kids, my two granddaughters, Janee (nine) and Jesee (six)
Estes have just cut their hair this past Sunday. All their friends
know about it and some grow their hair so they can donate it.” Acosta says, “We’ve both been hairdressers since 1963 and
we’ve done many, many things to help out.” Not everyone goes
to a salon for a haircut, although it’s recommended.
Jill Summers, who works for the Cancer Resource Center of Mendocino
County, tells me that she cut her hair in August of 2006 because “I
wanted a change, and I always assumed that I’d send it to Locks
of Love. I’d heard of them in high school. It just made sense—what
else was I going to do with it? A few weeks later I got a card/certificate
in the mail from them saying thank you for my donation.” Since she works
at the cancer resource center, she’s seen how
a wig made of real hair can change how a person looks at their treatment. “When
our adult clients come for a wig, which we give out for free, I know
it will make them feel that much better about themselves.” “My hair has since grown out and is now again over fifteen inches
long,” Summers adds. When I get around to cutting my hair this
time, I’ll probably give it to them again. It’s even more
painless than
giving blood, and I know I’ll get to make a huge difference in
someone’s life!” To Donate Locks Although anyone (men and women) can cut their hair as long as the guidelines listed below are followed, Locks of Love encourages all donors to go to a salon they are already familiar with to ensure their comfort when donating. Not all hair is created equal. About Hair
Donations: Local Cancer
Resource Center What You Can Do Be creative this
summer—grow your hair! Sources Cancer Resource Center of Mendocino County Head Hunters Fort Bragg Community Federal Credit Union |
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