Hi Everyone! My 9 year old daughter, Ella, has been growing her hair to donate to Locks of Love for some time. When a teacher at her school announced that she has breast cancer and has lost all her hair, Ella came to me and TOLD me that she wanted to shave her head and donate her hair now! I was shocked, stunned and hoped that the idea would just run its course and we could forget about it. Well, it didn't. Ella and I have gone round and round about this idea. I've spent a lot of time talking with her, I've had other adults talk with her, including her school counselor and the mother of a cancer survivor, we've watched videos on youtube of hair growing out after one shaves their head, but Ella is steadfast in her decision. She wants to donate her hair to Locks of Love (a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children) and support her teacher. She doesn't care what people will think of her bald head, that she will get looks and stares or that she may be mistaken for a boy. After much thought, stress, consideration, and many discussions with Rob, I realized that she is doing this for all the right reasons: to support a teacher and donate her hair; and that I am trying to stop her for all the wrong reasons: what will my DAUGHTER look like with a shaved head and what will people think??!! I've thought that it would be totally different in my mind if one of my boys wanted to shave his head. Of course I would support that and greet him with admiration. Why is my daughter any different? What am I teaching my daughter if I support all these superficial reasons for her not shaving her head and ignore her drive, passion, commitment and empathy for others? It is through this questioning that Rob and I have decided that we need to support our daughter, instead of squashing this amazing confidence that she exhibits at such a young age. I will admit, this is not easy for me and I may cry when they shave her head, but in the end I admire her more than she will ever know. Ella's school counselor came up with the great idea for Ella to participate in the St. Baldrick's Foundation fundraiser on March 9th at the Knitting Factory in Boise, ID. St. Baldrick's volunteers have made it possible to fund more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization besides the U.S. Government. "Shavees" ask friends and family to make donations "on their head" and in return, they attend one of thousands of volunteer-organized events around the world where they have their heads shaved in solidarity with kids fighting cancer. Since 2000 more than 230,000 shavees—including more than 22,700 women—have shaved their heads at 5,500 events, raising critical funds for childhood cancer research. Please consider making a donation to Ella's team (Roosevelt Elementary School) by clicking the link below and THANK YOU!!!