An eight-year-old Sechelt boy has decided to donate his hair to Angel Hair for Kids, a charity providing wigs to children who have experienced hair loss due to a medical condition or treatment.
We had a conversation about why some kids had no hair and the whole thing and he's like 'I could do that, how long does it have to be?' said mother Gillian Grattan of her conversation with her son, Ryder. I was like 'that's a great idea.'
The big chop will be April 14, between 1 and 4 p.m. at the Sol Mare salon in Trail Bay Centre. Gillian said all are welcome to attend, especially children. The actual hair cutting will occur at 3:45 p.m.
Ryder had been growing his hair in anticipation of the event his blond hair now reaches below the shoulders.
A lot of people know Ryder from seeing him around town. We shop locally and the bus drivers see him, Gillian said. A lot of people will think 'oh him, the kid with the hair.'
Ryder has grown to become a creative child. He spends much of his time inventing new gadgets to play with around the house or working on his character voices he hopes will one day land him a gig doing voice-overs for cartoons.
When he's not working on inventions like his hero factory villain spotter, a pair of binoculars with a host of interesting upgrades, Ryder can be found enjoying his hobbies like horse riding and swimming.
When asked why he was interested in growing his hair to help disadvantaged kids, Ryder replied because daddy's dad died from cancer and five years ago my dog's mom died from cancer.
He said he hoped his actions could inspire kids to think about ways they too can help others.
And as you can tell he's like mister centre of attention, a performer, he's met with a couple of agents in Vancouver, said Gillian. I really think that's where he'll channel his energy, into that sort of a world.
According to Angel Hair for Kids, it takes between 10 and 12 donated ponytails to manufacture one child's wig, at a cost of between $800 and $1,000.
The charity said it has helped more than 150 children during its three-year existence. Children are given a personalized treatment at a salon where the prosthesis is fit and styled especially for them. Should they be too ill to receive their new hair, the group will send a professional to help them in person.
Their website can be found at www.acvf.ca.
