Boy aids ailing kids
Published: April 20, 2006
With long, natural blond curly locks, Joshua Burnisky’s hair often has been the envy of girls and the topic of discussion by bleacher critics at sporting events.
But the 13-year-old is a little lighter these days because he allowed more than 10 inches of his signature mane to be sheared to benefit Locks of Love.
Joshua, a seventh-grader at Carroll Middle School and the son of Christopher and Lisa Burnisky, of Donora, decided more than a year ago to grow a crop of hair for use by “Locks of Love.”
Locks of Love is a Florida-based nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children 18 years and younger who suffer from long-term medical hair loss. The organization accepts hair at a minimum of 10-inches.
He recently stopped in at Kellie’s Kreations in Carroll Township to have his long tresses cut. It was the first time scissors touched his hair in months.
“I’m kind of nervous, but excited to get it all off,” he said.
Joshua said he heard about the Locks of Love program last year and thought it would be cool to donate his hair to help someone else.
Soon his hair was much longer than that of his twin brother, Jacob, who is five minutes older than him, and his sister, LeAnna, 11, a fifth-grader.
Joshua endured some teasing over the year because of his long tresses. His mother, at times, overheard adults in the bleachers during Joshua’s basketball games snickering over his long hair.
“I would just politely inform them that he is growing it long to give to kids with cancer,” his mother said. “But there were many adults who approached us to tell us how wonderful they thought it was.
But that doesn’t mean Joshua’s dad and baseball coach weren’t happy to see his hair short again.
A pitcher for the Donora Elks PONY League baseball team, Joshua said he had a hard time seeing when he threw the ball to first base. He affectionately received the nickname “Afro-thunder” from his family.
His mom said his hair often required heavy maintenance. Joshua braided it at night so it wouldn’t get tangled and had to buy special hair care products.
Joshua, the grandson of Stanley and Wanda Burnisky, of Monongahela, and Barbara Crouch of Donora, said he may let it grow again for Locks of Love.
“We’re really proud of him for doing this,” his mother said. “His head is now light as a feather.”
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