Young girl donates her locks

Young girl donates her locks

A pair of scissors combined with a youngster’s generous spirit will provide the priceless gift of hope and confidence for ailing youth.

On Wednesday, August 20, eight-year-old Maryanne White made a special visit to Creative Image Hair Salon, 3162 E. Tremont Avenue.

After three years of waiting, the Throggs Neck resident’s hair finally reached the length to donate to Locks of Love, a not-for-profit that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

“I think it’s really nice to help someone with cancer,” Maryanne commented, shortly after the 30-minute appointment with salon owner Francesca Falciano resulted in her 10-inch donation of flaming red hair.

Proud of his daughter for making such a drastic change, Maryanne’s dad Chris White said, “She has a great heart. She’s a really good kid.”

The P.S. 71 fourth-grader said though it was only the second haircut she’d ever had, she knew the cause was worth every snip.

In addition to making the donation, Maryanne explained she was exceptionally proud to be able go give the organization her far less common red locks.

“Lots of people don’t very often get that so it’s nice,” she explained. “And it’s nice for the summer,” she further commented about the now shoulder-length that’s much for conducive for a day at the beach. “Now it dries so much faster so that’s so much easier.”

Always moved by a Locks of Love donation, Falciano said, “For me it’s so nice to see the young kids grow their hair that long and maintain it for this cause.”

The stylist added it was also great to reunite with Maryanne after her first hair cut three years ago, and for such a worthy reason.

“It’s a really brave thing to do,” she said, “And she looks so pretty with it.”

When asked if she was nervous about such a dramatic alteration to her appearance, Maryanne laughed, immediately responding, “No, not at all. I was excited because I was going to be in the newspaper.”

Falciano encourages anyone who wants to donate his or her hair to Locks of Love to come by for a quick and easy haircut that makes a world of difference for deserving youth.

Creative Image is open Tuesday through Sunday. Call (718) 863-6376 to make an appointment.

To donate, hair must measure a minimum of 10 inches in length and may not be bleached. For further information, visit www.locksoflove.org.