Girl donates hair to Locks of Love
Published: March 16, 2007
There are so many things 7-year-old Nicole Sowards can’t do.
She can’t hold the door open for the person following after she goes through it. She can’t offer to shovel snow for a neighbor. She can’t lead her younger brother safely across the street.
Born with severe case of cerebral palsy, just breathing is a struggle for Nicole. Still, the Canal Fulton girl will make a major contribution to the life of someone she has never met.
Nicole had her hair cut for the first time in her short life Monday in her Locust Street NW home. Instead of sweeping Nicole’s hair into the trash, the Sowardses donated it to Locks of Love.
“I’m excited and happy she can help another little girl or boy not be self-conscious,” her father, Randy, said. “We want her to know she’s helping another person.”
Locks of Love is an organization that uses donated hair to make hairpieces for low-income boys and girls who have lost their own hair because of illness.
Nicole sat in her father’s arms, her mother holding her hair still, while hair stylist Misty Johnson used silver scissors to clip off Nicole’s long brown locks. The trimming left Nicole’s mom, Kim, and 4-year-old brother, Steven, in tears.
“We always liked the long hair,” Kim Sowards said. “It was her trademark … We always wanted to give it to Locks of Love if we did cut it.”
Ten inches of hair is needed to be accepted by Locks for Love. Johnson sheared off about 18 inches of Nicole’s hair, or three bundles.
“It really touched my heart being offered to do this,” said Johnson, who works at Bang Busters Children’s Hair Salon at 4719 Fulton Dr. NW in Jackson Township and received permission from the state licensing board to cut Nicole’s hair at home.
“I wanted to cry with mom,” Johnson added. “I know how hard it was for mom to make this decision.”
Although Nicole’s donation will change the life of another child, it will also make it easier on her family to maintain her hair. It took two people to wash and untangle Nicole’s hair - usually Kim Sowards and Nicole’s nurse, Dana Motz.
“It got a little hard to manage,” Randy Sowards said. “It wasn’t hard to get it all matted up.”
‘It’s going to take some time getting used to, but it’s pretty,” Kim Sowards said of Nicole’s new look.
Her husband said, “It’s beautiful.”
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