Why am I shaving my head with St. Baldrick’s? Because your donation “on my head” will actually save lives.

Hair is powerful. Hair is identity. Hair tells a story; but hair isn't everything. 

Before I moved away to college, I made the decision to loc my hair. At the time it was a simple act, a new style to rock as I began a new chapter in my life. Through trepidatious times in college my hair grounded me. Some nights in the library when procrastinating studying, I'd research the history of locs. Reading about the ancient Egyptians, Hindi sadhus, or Rastafarians who loc'ed their hair as a sign of status, spiritual discipline, or their abandonment of material things, brought me closer to a cultural, spiritual and personal identity. Sometimes even, like Samson, I felt my hair brought me strength; to be different, to be a fuller version of myself. 

With those years and lessons behind me, I spend most of my time now working with and treating children with cancer. One question that is common at the beginning of children & their families' cancer journey is, "will I lose my hair?". As someone who has grown attached to mine, I understand the gravity of that question. To lose such a integral part of yourself is devastating... But it isn't the end. 

India.Arie sings "I Am Not My Hair", and she's right. Our hair is only a part of what makes us who we are; the same can be said of a cancer diagnosis. I've helped many children & young adults accept those truths over the past few years. Cancer does not define you, and neither does your hair. It is the fight, everyday waking up and fighting through the day, through chemo, through whatever scares you and making it one more time that defines you. I'm hoping that with another simple act, I can continue to do that, while also raising money to further support those children and their families.

Open your hearts & your pockets to help me accomplish that goal!