Three Friends Share Their Hair Tri-City Junior Academy Girls Give Their Long Hair Away

Three years ago, second-grader Selena English saw a news segment on the Today show about Locks of Love, an organization which takes donated hair to make wigs. The wigs are then donated to children with medically related hair loss. After seeing the news spot, English began growing her hair to donate it. Every six months English went to the salon to have her hair measured. In fall of 2005 it was determined that in another six months' time her hair would be long enough to make a donation. English excitedly began sharing her plans with friends at school. Before long others had decided to join her.

And then the day came. On March 16, English and third-graders Hope Heaton and Alexis Horst, all students of Tri-City Junior Academy in Pasco, made the generous sacrifice. Together with English's mom, Karen, the girls donated over 42 inches of hair! Heaton told her mother, Heidi Schuette, "Mom, I hope when I go to heaven I get to meet the person who got my hair." Selena English almost had second thoughts when she discovered that her hair would have to be cut a little shorter than she anticipated. When told she could wait a few more months, she replied, "That's OK. Someone else already has shorter hair. Mine will grow back, their's won't." Although Horst had agreed several months earlier to cut her hair, she was actually only given an overnight notice of the date. Even on the short notice she eargerly participated.

It is important to realize that these girls loved their long hair. The did not donate it because they cut it off. They cut it off specifically to donate it, because they wanted to help others.

Featured in: June 2006

Author