A SCHOOLGIRL who has never had a haircut has decided to share her long, luxuriant locks with children who have lost theirs.
Barnard Castle Preparatory School pupil Mila Johnson was shocked and saddened to hear about the plight of children who lose their hair through illness.
The six-year-old, from Teesdale, has linked up with the Little Princess Trust, which pays for real hair wigs for young people who suffer hair loss as a result of conditions such as cancer and alopecia.
After setting up a Just Giving page, Mila hopes her sponsored haircut will provide material for wigs and raise hundreds of pounds for the Little Princess Trust, as a Christmas present for poorly children.
She said: “I was really shocked when I heard that children can lose their hair. I have so much of it that I would like to share it with the children who do not have any and raise hundreds of pounds for the charity as well. I hope we can help them feel better.
“Mummy never ever cut my hair before. Since birth she has collected all my things in my Baby's Precious Keepsakes pink box – my first ultrasound scan picture, my hospital bands, my first little hand print, my footprint, my first shoes, my first tooth – but my first curl box is still empty.”
She plans to have her first ever haircut on December 2 at school in front of all her friends hoping it will be enough to make two wigs for children undergoing treatment.
Shine Hair & Beauty salon group owner Wilson Derbyshire has agreed to cut and style Mila’s hair free of charge giving her a brave new look.
Mila said: “I am British and Russian too through my Russian mummy. I travel a lot with my family and have lots of friends in different countries. They often call me Rapunzel.
“I never knew about cancer really until I watched some YouTube cartoons. It is really sad and hard to talk about it as one of my friends lost her mummy to cancer. A daddy of one of my other friends had cancer too but survived.”
Mila’s mum Oxana added: “Mila has never had a haircut before and it is very long. She really wants to help other children less fortunate than her and is being very mature in helping organise the sponsored event.”
Barnard Castle Preparatory School headmistress Laura Turner said: “Offering to have her first ever haircut for such a great cause is a wonderfully selfless act and everyone at school is very proud to support Mila.”
The Little Princess Trust was founded in memory of Hannah Tarplee, who lost her battle with cancer in 2005.
Since 2006 the charity has helped more than 2,000 girls and boys across the country by providing the very best hairpieces, which on average cost about £350.
Anyone wanting to sponsor Mila can do so through her page – https://www.justgiving.com/Milascharityhaircut/ – or drop into the school office to complete a sponsor form.