KIDS HELPING KIDS - Kayla Hixon Donates Hair To Locks Of Love

(10/14/2003)

Miss Kayla Hixon wanted to do something to help children, less fortunate than herself. The thirteen year old had 15" of her hair cut-off, and donated it to Locks of Love. Locks of Love is a not-for-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under the age of 18 with medical hair loss. Kayla is the daughter of Elvin and Melissa Hixon, of Munday Road. "I'm so proud of her for doing this to help other children ... there have been many people in the county help this worthwhile cause. I wanted to get the word out to more people who may be thinking about donating or would like more information," said Melissa. Michelle, of A Cut Above, in Grantsville cut Kayla's hair into a ponytail perfect for mailing Custom-fitted hair prosthetics are provided free of charge or on a sliding scale to children whose families meet the Locks of Love Board of Directors guidelines. Donors provide the hair, volunteers staff the office, and the manufacturer hand-assembles each piece, which requires approximately four months. The organization, which began in 1997, has helped over 1000 children since its first year of operation. Thousands of bundles of donated hair arrive from around the country as a result of national publicity Locks of Love received in newspapers, magazines and television programs. The donations continue to pour in. Most donors mail a note and a photo with their bundle of hair. Children comprise over 80 percent of the donors, making this a charity where children have the opportunity to help other children. Locks of Love provides its recipients with a custom, vacuum-fitted hairpiece made entirely from donated human hair. The vacuum fit is designed for children who have experienced a total loss of scalp hair and does not require the use of tape or glue. Most of the applicants suffer from an auto-immune condition called alopecia areata, for which there is no known cause or cure. Others have suffered severe burns, or endured radiation treatment to the brain stem, in addition to many other dermatological conditions that result in permanent hair loss. For more information or directions to donate, see www.locksoflove.org

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