‘I wanted to make another child confident”: Girls chop off hair to raise money for cancer charity

Two girls have managed to raise hundreds of pounds for a leukaemia charity after they bravely chopped off their hair, which will also be used to make a wig.

Nikki Young and Leyla-Mae Kemal, aged 11 and 12, decided that they wanted to help children who have suffered with hair loss due to cancer treatment or other hair loss illnesses.

The girls met while playing for Walworth FC under-12s girls team, whose home ground is in Burgess Park, Camberwell.

Leyla-Mae who lives in Walworth said: “I wanted to do this to make another child happy and make them confident.”

The girls’ mums looked online at where they could donate and found the Little Princess Trust – who provide free real hair wigs to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or other conditions – and ordered a donation pack online for each of them.

Rebecca Cox, Leyla-Mae’s mum said: “Over the next few months we set up a Just Giving page for the girls to receive donations to the charity to help raise money for the charity to make these wigs, which they give free of charge to the children they help.”

The girls have raised £615 so far for the charity. 

Today was the “big chop day”, as the girls went to a hair dressers to have their hair cut off. 

Their mums prepped them with elastics and measured their hair to make sure they got at least 12 inches from both of them, which is the amount the charity needs to make the wigs.

Ms Cox added: “They did the big chop with smiles on their faces With their mums taking pictures and being proud of them.

“We are ever so proud of our daughters for doing this heartfelt donation for those in need.”

Pictured top: From left, Leyla-Mae Kemal and Nikki Young who donated their hair, right, to a cancer charity (Picture: Rebecca Cox)