Young survivor donates hair
Published: February 21, 2006
Katie Bickford, 9, of Frankford, has lived through more illness and pain than most people in a lifetime. She has done so gracefully and without complaint. In fact, now that she has overcome acute lymphocytic leukemia, she is helping other children with similar conditions.
Bickford recently donated her long locks to Wigs for Kids, a national group that makes wigs for children who lose their hair because of an illness.
“We talked about it for a while,” said her mother, ML Bickford.
“She decided to give it to the children who may not be able to grow their hair for years. She made the decision completely on her own.”
Katie, who was diagnosed at age 4, went through more than two years of chemotherapy at A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington.
Losing her hair was a side effect of her treatments.
After her recovery, she grew her hair for the next three and a half years, waiting until she thought it was long enough to donate.
“I was a little nervous at first,” she said, “but thinking about helping the other children made me feel a lot better.”
Katie is in fourth grade at Lighthouse Christian School in Dagsboro.
She enjoys reading, playing soccer, gymnastics, Girl Scouts and many other activities.
“I love soccer,” she said, smiling as she reads a Harry Potter book and catches a glimpse of her hair getting snipped. “Some of the kids play rough, but I like playing hard.”
Bickford fought hard to overcome leukemia. Her friends and family agree she deserves to play hard as she helps other children win their fight with cancer.
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