Published on August 13, 2010
Haircuts for Hope
Donating Locks To Help Others
Ten-year-old Matthew Buckley grew his hair long to honor a young friend who died of leukemia...
Genesis nurse Cynthia Lira donated her long hair because she remembered how a wig once lifted her own mother’s spirits...
Matthew Buckley got his hair cut by La James College stylist
Erin Rubley at Genesis Cancer Care Institute’s Haircuts for
Hope event last Friday. The 10-year-old grew out his hair in
memory of a friend who died of leukemia.
Gladys Kennamer of Rock Island hadn’t planned on donating her hair until she passed by the Haircuts for Hope event last Friday on the way to taking a relative in for surgery. She saw the outpouring of generosity at the Genesis Cancer Care Institute and decided to participate, too...
They were three of 33 people who sacrificed at least 264 inches of ponytails for the third annual Haircuts for Hope. The donations provide real-hair wigs to women across the nation who have lost their hair during cancer treatment. Student volunteers from La James College cut the hair.
Matthew of Park View, Iowa endured some taunts during the two years he grew out his blonde hair in memory of his friend Ambrose Kearney of Princeton, Iowa. That was nothing, however, compared to his buddy’s three-year battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Matthew came to Haircuts for Hope with his mother, grandparents and sister, wearing a T-shirt that said “Team Ambrose” from a fund-raiser given before his friend’s death in 2007.
Despite his shyness, Matthew spoke to the TV cameras about his friend’s bravery. “When he was sick, he lost his hair. He was a good friend of mine who liked playing baseball and a lot of other sports. He believed in God. We went to Bible School and church together.”
Matthew’s mother, Sarah Buckley, added: “He was really upset when Ambrose died, so he decided to grow out his hair. It has been tough for him. He has been called a girl, and he’s ready to get it cut. But he’s definitely doing this for the right reason.”
Genesis nurse Cynthia Lira, RN, has her hair cut by
La James stylist Erin Root.
With a full head of long, dark hair, Cynthia Lira, RN, had a lot of locks to donate. “When I was young, my mom took medication that made her hair fall out, and a wig made her feel so much better,” says Lira, who works in the Cardiovascular Interventional Unit on the Genesis, East Rusholme Street Campus in Davenport.
Gladys Kennamer cut her hair in support of a friend who is undergoing chemotherapy. “She’s going through chemo for the third time and has lost her hair every time. This is for a very good cause.”
