Bald is Beautiful

For the past 4 years I participate in a fundraiser for childhood cancer research funding. It's been life changing for me, to spread awareness, shave my head and join a movement with heart and passion.

I isn't all smiles fun, children are fighting for their lives every day. In fact every 2 seconds a child world wide is diagnosed with cancer. But less then 4% of the National Cancer Institutes budget is dedicated to childhood cancer and only four new drugs (yes 4!) have been approved specifically developed to treat child cancer. Which is why St.baldricks exists! You see, child cancer is different than adult cancer. Unlike many adult cancers, childhood cancers are not strongly linked to environmental or life style risk factors. Which make treatments different.

So what is my experience with St. Baldricks? What do we do? I met an amazing woman named Ammy, featured below. She has the biggest heart I know! We met via business from Mary Kay Cosmetics. She's my sister consultant and has been shaving her head for almost 10 amazing years. Ammy is my inspiration for kindness, love, fun and real professionalism. She was there to answer my many questions and concerns. My first reason for wanting to join was to shave in honor of a family friend, also in Mary Kay. My sales director youngest sister. She was 16 when diagnosed. I reached out to her personally and asked her permission to shave in her honor. She said that would be okay. Later though, her and her family were not happy about my decision to participate, and it ended our friendship. But I don't just shave for her now, there are so many other kids who need and want my support.

Ammy!

I've encountered more positive feed-back then I have the negative- but there are some very hurtful things that others have said because I have chosen to participate. Ammy supported me through it all. People have said things like: "Why don't you just grow out your hair and donate?" "Why not just donate to St.Judes?" "A shaved head isn't accepted in professional careers, aren't you worried about your employment?" "You shave at the end of August? That's the worst part of the year to be bald, winter in coming soon!" "Your smile and laughter during the shave event was unappropriated; it's a very traumatic experience for many, if you choose to do it again, consider a moment of silence or more reverence." Even my own dad can't get the name or mission correct and he's been donating all four years. He keeps calling it St.Baldwigs- because he thinks we donate hair and make wigs. I do *NOT* donate hair. Hair donation processes are pretty specific for length, thickness, and non color treatment. If I were to donate my hair, while it's a kind act of service, it doesn't help find a cure to cancer and takes years of maintenance. My fundraising with St.baldricks does fund research for cures and anyone can participate! However if your hair does meet requirements for donating, (at least 10 inches long, virgin hair/no neon metallic colors at any point of the growth, and a inch in diameter in thickness once braided) we have stylists that will prep your hair accordingly.

This is Sarah Willis, She passed away from the side affects of her chemo treatments on Thanksgiving in 2018.

But St.baldricks is not affiliated with any wig making companies and doesn't do anything with the hair. That is up to you and anyone who volunteers at the events. As for the rest of those remarks, those people are the perpetrators of why I need to continue to shave my head. To be the example and show that bald is beautiful and break the stigma that hair isn't needed to be powerful, professional, or even functioning during winter months. (Hats people, I wear hats! And so do kids with cancer) I've had more compliments being bald, by far any other hair style I have ever had, and as a daughter of a cosmologist, I've had many! Some people think I do it for a chic bold look! And while I'm super fond of the way I look bald now, I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about it the first go around. I was saying goodbye to my HAIR people! A piece of me! But when Ammy said "So did those kids you're shaving for and some of them will be at the event, they didn't get a choice to loose their hair though, it often comes with the treatment." I knew I had to follow through. If anything,I needed to rid myself of some vanity, and humble myself. I was told as a child I had a round face and if my hair was short my face would look fat. Well fat is beautiful, and so is bald damnit!

Fly Away Photography

A bald head does not always mean a happy heart in St.baldricks, but we celebrate each milestone of healing and recovery together for the families who support their children and loved ones that are still here, or whom have passed. Each year I've met new people and new families. Likewise each year has new emotional experiences that keeps bringing me back. This is Jamie, she was 11 years old and shaved her head in honor of her sister Daphne. Daphne passed away from brain cancer at 7 years old. Love is an action and you can see it in her face! Many tears were shed as she braved the shave on a gut impulse.

There is another woman I met 2 years ago at the yearly shave event who I love following her social media posts and life work. Her name is Valerie.

Valerie is the beauty in the middle

She was 17 when shaved her head in honor for her younger sister, Cecilia, who had passed away from osteosarcoma. She told her story how her parents didn't have much, but they had each other and a culture of love. How her heart hurt to watch her young sister pass. She has started and run her own fundraiser for child cancers, I attended a Glow Run event at her local High School. She just finished her first year of college studying biology and is aspiring to pursue a career in the pediatric oncology field to help children, like her sister, beat cancer! She's a kick-ass woman and she's only 19! I recall her saying "I'm nervous my hair won't grow in as cute as yours!" My heart gushed with delight to tell her how beautiful she would be, and how much more wonderful her heart was for her actions. She was able to give two full hair donations with that amazing Asian thick hair, and fund-raise over $2,300 with St.baldricks in just a few short months.

We continue to look for that cure, to save more lives, to give longer fuller healthier experiences. "In the U.S., more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease—more than AIDS, asthma, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies and diabetes combined." We live in world where there is a lot of good that needs done, but we can't do it all- so what can you do? You can join in your local yearly shave events. They host them year round, You can also fundraiser with us or donate if you don't want to be an advocate and become a shavee! Click any of the hyper linked words in this blog to learn more about St.baldricks and exactly where your money goes! If you can't do any of that please share this blog!

This journey has given me self confidence, joy and awareness. The love I feel at these events are truly beautiful! So why not #BraveTheShave and be #BaldByChoice. Join a new family and movement that can change your life and come meet some stellar kids!

I appreciate all Shares, Prayers, Cheers and Donations! Click here to donate or get started!