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Mother and daughters make donation to Locks of Love
A mother and her two daughters gave up part of their crowning glory Wednesday for a good cause.
Mary Ashlee Montojo, her sister, Andrea, and their mother, Manuelita Tan, all had their hair cut by Shelly Bradley, owner of The After Affect Salon, for a donation to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 21 in the United States and Canada who are suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.
The hair is used to create the "highest quality hair prosthetics," its website said.
Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses provided help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers, the site said.
Mary Ashelee went first, followed by Manuelita and Andrea.
Mary said she didn't mind giving up her long, straight, jet black locks, noting that it grows fast. It was a little longer than shoulder length when Bradley was finished.
Mary Ashlee said she got her hair snipped because she wanted a change.
Her mother said Mary Ashlee's classmates will be "shocked" when they see her with shorter hair.
Andrea said she decided to take the plunge because she was already at the salon, watching her sister go under the scissors. Tan said it feels good to donate your hair to someone who needs it.
"Most people try to wait until Relay for Life, but they can come in anytime" and get a haircut for Locks of Love, Bradley said.
How to donate
*10 inches measured tip to tip is the minimum length needed for a hairpiece, the website said.
*Hair must be in a ponytail or braid before it is cut.
* Hair must be clean and completely dry before it is mailed in.
* Place the ponytail or braid inside a plastic bag, and then inside a padded envelope.
* If you wish to receive an acknowledgment for your hair donation, fill out the hair donation form, or write your name and e-mail address or mailing address on a full size separate sheet of paper and include it inside the envelope. Locks of Love cannot acknowledge donors who do not send their name and address according to these instructions.
*All hair donations must be mailed to Locks of Love at 234 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach, Fla., 33405-2701.
Note
*Shorter hair will be separated from the ponytails and sold to offset the manufacturing costs. Although the shorter hair cannot be used in the hairpieces, it still helps to reduce costs.
* Gray hair will be accepted and sold to offset the manufacturing costs.
* Colored hair is not usable if it is colored over bleached hair.