PHOTOS: Andrew Hudson (before), Victor Biro (after)
Eleven-year old Cooper Custance grows long for a good cause. Cooper’s hair was already getting long-ish over a year ago, when a friend suggested he could grow enough for a wig.
“I actually looked into it,” said Cooper.
After reviewing a few charities, Cooper settled on Wigs for Kids – a non-profit that donates hand-tied wigs made just for children.
About half of the 150 children who get a wig every year have lost hair because of chemotherapy treatments for cancer. Others have lost hair due to burns, or to diseases such as alopecia.
After getting his parents’ okay, Cooper decided to grow his hair out until it measured 10 inches from tip to tip – the minimum wig makers can use.
And as it grew, he set a second goal – to collect $2,500 for the Canadian Cancer Society.
“It’s nice because it’s warm in winter,” he said when he still had his Lion King locks. “But it’s a little annoying because some people tease me about it.”
Despite the teasing, and the waiter who once asked him, “What can I get you, young lady?” Cooper kept on growing.
On Sunday, after his hair reached the 10-inch mark, Cooper sat down in a Queen Street salon to have it all clipped off.
His fundraising campaign has also grown – as of Monday, May 4, Cooper had raised $4,200, well over his $2,500 target.
His mother, Donna Custance, said she would do whatever it took to help Cooper reach that target – not least because his dad promised to get his own hair shaved off when he did.
To support Cooper’s campaign, donate at gofundme.com/cuttingforcancer.
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