Five years ago, I got bold and bald for what I assumed would be the first and only time. Friends had done it, so I dared myself to follow their lead. Sit still for a few painless minutes and raise thousands of dollars for pediatric cancer research in the process. Do a good deed in the abstract. From a safe distance.

Then save money on shampoo and hair gel for a while.

But a couple of years later a friend found a lump in her 7-month-old son. And the hypothetical got real -- real fast. 

After Archie's diagnosis, everyone who knew him suddenly felt like they had skin in this nasty game. I know I did. He gave the abstract a familiar face -- a smiley, smirking, singing, silly little face. Thanks to the kind of research and treatment St. Baldrick's helps to fund, Archie is a healthy 3-year-old today, regularly delighting all his fans with his Facebook antics.     

In honor of brave little Archie, and in memory of all those taken from me too soon by cancer, last year I decided to shave my head again. But this time I had a plan. Because I wanted to also donate my hair -- so it could be used to make a wig for a cancer patient -- I knew I'd have to wait until it was long enough. So I temporarily broke up with my hairdresser (sorry, Lisa!). It's been more than a year since I cut my hair (other than trimming my bangs, so I wouldn't walk into walls).

Now it's your turn! Will you help? Will you make a donation? Every dollar makes a difference for the thousands of infants, children, teens, and young adults fighting childhood cancers.