8 Year Old Dagenham Girl Raises Money for Little Princess Trust

An 8 year old girl from Dagenham has impressed family and teachers alike with her decision to donate her hair to charity.
Lillie Mead, of Ivyhouse Road, Dagenham had nine inches of her long brown hair cut off for Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides real-hair wigs free of charge to girls and boys who have lost hair through cancer treatment and other hair loss conditions.
The Godwin Primary school pupil had a simple, heartfelt explanation for why she wanted to get her hair cut for charity: “It seemed like a nice thing to do.”
Even so, the young girl was not without certain fears and anxieties leading up to the big chop, saying: “It was hard because I really liked my hair, so I’m looking forward to it growing back.”

Over £500 raised for charity

Lillie’s parents are understandably proud of their eldest daughter’s generous act. Lillie’s mother Dawn wrote on her JustGiving page: “I am so proud of my Lillie and love her to the moon and back!!” Lillie’s father Nick echoes these thoughts: “We’re all really proud of her,” he said. “It was all her own idea.”
Year Three teacher Emma Sreenan was moved when she saw Lillie arrive in school the next day with her dramatically shorter hairstyle, saying: “I was really impressed and think she’s impressed herself.”
Lillie’s brave act clearly resonated with friends and family, the little girl managing to raise an impressive £570, far surpassing the original £100 target.

More about Little Princess Trust

Little Princess Trust is a UK-based charity that provides real-hair wigs, free of charge, to boys and girls that have lost their own hair through cancer treatment. To date, Little Princess Trust has given away over 2,000 free wigs in support of children with hair loss.
The charity also provides wigs to children who have lost hair through other conditions, such as Alopecia Areata. The exact cause of Alopecia Areata is unknown, but it is considered to be an autoimmune disorder, with around 1 in 1,000 people affected during the course of their lifetime. Alopecia Areata usually begins with sudden patchy hairloss due to follicles entering the telogen or ‘resting’ phase. If it is left untreated, it can develop into Alopecia Totalis or Alopecia Universalis.
To find out more about Little Princess Trust and how they help children with cancer and other hair loss conditions visit their website: www.littleprincesses.org.uk.