March 31, 2005

Eleven-year-old Meredith Hinz musters up the courage to head to the salon for the long-awaited cut.

Volunteer of the Month: Meredith Hinz
                
Almaden Valley 11-year-old donates 11 inches of hair to ‘Locks of Love’

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

The phrase “give a piece of yourself away” never really meant much to 11-year-old Meredith Hinz, until she decided to donate 11 inches of herself to a good cause.

Eleven inches of bright red tresses, that is, part of herself that Meredith, a sixth grader at St. Frances Cabrini, hopes will give another child something back that she lost—her smile.

Her hair is now on its way to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provide financially strapped children with custom hair prosthetics free of charge or at a sizeable discount—a loving gesture to thousands of youngsters worldwide who have permanent hair loss or have lost their hair to cancer or other diseases.

“She had the most gorgeous think mane of long red hair and this was a big cut,” admits Meredith’s mother Cynthia.  “It was her idea to both cut and donate her hair. Her pen pal cut her long hair and donated it to Locks of Love, as did a couple other friends of hers. They planted the seed.”

Locks of Love uses entirely donated human hair to offset the $3,000 retail cost of each hairpiece. 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. Each hairpiece is assembled by hand; a nearly four-month process that will use six to 10 donated ponytails.

Tawni from Colorado is shown before (above) and after she became one of over 1,000 children who have benefited from the generous donations of hair and Locks of Love.

Since 1997, over 1,000 children under the age of 18 have received new locks and with them, renewed self-esteem.

While most suffer from an autoimmune condition called alopecia areata, causing them to lose all body hair, others struggle with severe burns, or have endured radiation treatments to the brain stem, in addition to various dermatological conditions that result in permanent hair loss.

Cynthia says she is extremely proud of her daughter for sacrificing her “gorgeous” hair so kids with cancer can have hair and feel good about themselves.

“Cancer has touched her life deeply,” she notes. “Her [grandmother] Opa died from lung cancer two and a half years ago. Her hair has always been important to her, so this was a big step. Meredith has a big heart and giving to others is important to her.”

Today, thousands of bundles of donated hair like Meredith’s arrive from all over the country. Nearly 80 percent of the donors are children who made the selfless decision to part with at least 10 inches of tresses, making it a fitting charity where children have an opportunity to help other children.

Both readily agree that after the cape is snapped into place and the scissors are on final approach, the climate is ripe for a classic case of separation anxiety and a host of other emotions. However, having Anna Enfantino, hair stylist and family friend “do the deed” made for an enjoyable experience and in a way, a right of passage.

“Meredith was very excited about the big cut,” Cynthia says. “Her hair was so long, it was getting in her way. She wasn’t nervous whatsoever. But then again, she was in good hands with Anna, who is her best friend Angelique’s mom and my good friend.  She is thrilled with her new look.”

Eleven inches lighter, Meredith sports a new look and holds a ponytail ready to donate to Locks of Love.

This was no small feat for someone known as “the girl with the beautiful, long, red hair.” With no more than a trim over the past three years, her hair, according to Cynthia was a huge part of who she was.

“That’s why this was a big deal for Meredith to do and for her to donate it to kids in need,” says her mom. “Well, that just says a lot about the kind of child she is.”

Meredith says it feels a little weird to not have that long mane of hair anymore, but she loves the ease and manageability of her new cut and can still pull it back into a ponytail that suits her active lifestyle.

Ultimately, she may never know who ends up with her hair, as financial and privacy issues prohibit Locks of Love from connecting donors with the child who receives a specific hairpiece, but they do receive a certificate acknowledging their contribution.

Would she do it again? You bet. We’ve been told to stay tuned and in a few years, there just might be a repeat performance. In the meantime, Meredith says she doesn’t miss using a ton of shampoo, waiting all day for her long hair to dry, and spending hours brushing it.

“I really like having my hair shorter because it makes me look taller too,” Meredith admits. “When you’re hair is half the size of your body, like mine was, it makes you look shorter than you really are—and I am VERY short!”

For more information about Locks of Love, visit www.locksoflove.org, or call  (561)-963-1677, or 1-888-896-1588 for toll-free recorded information.