Locks of Love
Published: May 29, 2005
To look at Jessica Smith, one wouldn’t immediately guess the 16-year-old’s thick, long brown hair was anything but the result of years of growth, maintenance and styling.
While other girls her age may spend hours fussing in front of the mirror, Smith’s coiffure is good to go. Diagnosed at 18 months with alopecia areata, an autoimmune skin disease resulting in loss of hair or stunted hair growth, Smith’s luscious locks are not her own. She has never had a full head of hair, so she sports a natural human hair wig made by Locks of Love.
Locks of Love, a non-profit organization, helps children under 18 with medical hair loss improve their self-esteem and confidence by providing natural custom vacuum-fitted hair prosthetics. The hairpieces are made from thousands of bundled hair donations sent in by children and adults from around the nation. Midland 12-year-olds Morgan Strickland and Melissa Reddout grew their hair, donated 10- to 12-inch ponytails to Locks of Love, and plan to donate again once their hair is long enough.
Since 1997, the organization has helped more than 1,000 children who suffer from hair loss caused by alopecia areata, head injuries such as burns, dermatological conditions and radiation treatment for cancer. Locks of Love was founded by Madonna Coffman, a retired cardiac nurse from Palm Beach, Fla., who developed alopecia after receiving a hepatitis vaccination. Coffman’s hair eventually grew back, but 15 years later, her daughter developed the same condition.
According to the Locks of Love Web site, to donate, the hair must be 10 inches tip to tip, bundled in a ponytail or braid, clean, dry, placed in a plastic bag and a padded envelope. The hair may be colored or permed, but not bleached or chemically damaged. Hair cut years ago may be used if it was stored in a braid or ponytail. Hair of all colors is needed from men, women and children from all ethnic backgrounds. Layered hair may be divided into multiple ponytails for donation.
At a time when self-image and confidence are just beginning to develop, children are sensitive to criticism and ridicule. Fragile feelings are often made more so when what sets them apart from their peers is the result of a medical condition.
“Hair is so important to a person, especially a woman. It’s very dramatic for them to lose their hair, and a wig makes a big difference, whether it’s an adult or a child,” said Susie Rodriguez, manager of the Look Good, Feel Good shop at Allison Cancer Center.
Susan Stone, executive director of Locks of Love, said the hairpieces are custom-fit.
“(The hairpieces) allow kids to get back to being kids. They allow normal childlike activities without having to worry about the hair falling off or being pulled off. They really help boost kids’ self-esteem,” Stone said.
Before Smith got a Locks of Love hairpiece, she wore a synthetic wig, and even went without hair for a year when she was in eighth grade.
“I would get frustrated on days when I woke up and I couldn’t fix my hair the way I wanted to,” Smith said. “Kids used to pull on it, and I had to worry about it when I went swimming or went to a sleepover. Now I can put my hair up in a pony tail and curl and style it the way I want to. It’s just like having normal hair except I take it off at night and take it off to wash it.”
After seeing a fellow Scharbauer Elementary School classmate with a new short hairstyle, soon-to-be seventh-grader Melissa Reddout decided to change her look as well, and cut about 10 inches from her hair. Reddout saved the ponytail and is in the process of donating it to Locks of Love.
“I knew someone in first grade who had cancer and didn’t have any hair,” Reddout said. “I wanted to find a way to help people with cancer feel better about themselves.”
Reddout and Morgan Strickland are in the same Girl Scout troop, and the two girls and their mothers, Linda Reddout and Glenda Strickland, have made efforts to understand the donation process.
Strickland, who just completed sixth grade at Rusk Elementary School, cut her hair in fourth grade, but she has been growing her hair for two years since she heard about Locks of Love on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and through friends. Strickland finally cut her hair at Joe James Salon May 3 and has sent the ponytail to Locks of Love.
“My hair was so long, and I don’t really need it, but there are kids without hair who do,” Strickland said.
Both Morgan and her mother had tears in their eyes as James cut Morgan’s ponytail.
“All that hair — I’m just so proud of her for thinking of someone else,” Glenda Strickland said. “She’s thinking of the kids that are sick and don’t have hair. That shows there is some good in this world.”
Though she was initially shocked to see her daughter with her new hairdo, Strickland said she wouldn’t miss having to brush and braid Morgan’s hair every night after her shower. Strickland said they would have cut Morgan’s hair sooner, but they had trouble finding a salon that cuts hair for Locks of Love. The Joe James Salon not only did the cut for free, but also gave Morgan a gift certificate to reward her good deed.
“Several of our clients have done it and there’s one woman working on her second ponytail,” James said.
In the weeks following her haircut, Morgan said she has received quite a bit of attention from her classmates and friends. She may have influenced two younger girls to do the same, she said.
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