Mom, daughter make the cut to benefit kids with hair loss
Published: February 8, 2006
Jenna Congdon probably won’t ever be able to convince her mom that a duo skydive would be the ultimate thrill.
But when it came to doing something more down to earth, the 18-year-old Palm Beach Atlantic University student had no trouble persuading her mom, Becky. The close knit mother-daughter team spent about nine months growing their hair, then snipping it off and donating the ponytails to Locks of Love, a not-for-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children 18 and younger with medical hair loss.
“I don’t think my hair has been this short since elementary school,” said Jenna after her straight, brown hair was cut 11 inches. “But I’d do it again. It’s a good cause. I think about the kids who don’t have hair.”
Mom Becky agrees. “When Jenna told me about this, I said, I’m too old for long hair, but let’s try it. It’s a chance to help someone,” she said.
When they told their hairdresser, Trina Carnes, about their plan, she was thrilled. “I thought it was fabulous and offered to cut it for free. To me, it’s an important thing to help promote the cause,” said Carnes, a stylist at Boynton’s JC Penney salon.
During the months spent growing their hair, they never lost sight of their goal. But the “big day” was a little nerve-wracking, they admitted. Jenna went shopping to take her mind off it, her mom was so busy at her job managing Eye & Ear optical center in Boynton Beach she didn’t have time to ponder the outcome.
Now that everyone has had about a month to adjust to their shorter locks, they’re back to their regular busy lives.
Becky’s nonstop schedule includes volunteering for the PTA and being the treasurer for her son’s James’ Boy Scout troop, when she’s not busy at home in Boynton Beach.
Jenna’s busy adjusting to her first year at college, skimboarding and enjoying the teenage life. She recently ran in the Race for the Cure and Becky volunteered on the sidelines.
And, Becky said, when Jenna delivered their hair to Locks of Love, she was so impressed with the organization she signed up to volunteer.
“When she went, she found out something we didn’t know that surprised us. It takes 16 locks to make one wig,” Becky said. “They need a lot of hair.”
If you enjoyed this good news Subscribe to Good News Blog
Share this
To share this simply copy and paste one of the below URL's: