Meet The Eight-Year-Old From Balaklava Donating Her Hair To Help Kids With Cancer

Balaklava eight-year-old Mackenzie Weston is donating her hair and raising funds for the Kids With Cancer Foundation's Wigs 4 Kids program.
Melissa Smith

Next Month, Mackenzie Weston Will Lop Off Her Locks To Help Kids With Cancer

Every now and then you meet a kid who reminds you the world is in pretty safe hands.

Eight-year-old Mackenzie Weston from Balaklava is one of them.

Mum Rebecca and Dad Byron have no shortage of busy days raising their six daughters. And on Thursday, August 20, they’ll proudly watch Mackenzie have more than 25 centimetres of her beautiful curly hair cut off. She’s also hoping to raise $2,000 for the Kids With Cancer Foundation, helping kids with cancer and their families.

“I’ve been growing my hair for eight years. It’s beautiful, curly with a natural white streak,” Mackenzie wrote on her fundraising page.

“I’ve decided to donate my hair to make a wig for cancer patients as it will help them feel beautiful when they are really sick.”

It’s a pretty remarkable decision for someone so young.

But according to Mum Rebecca, this isn’t the first time her daughter has put someone else before herself, recently choosing to spend her own money buying snacks and drinks for a homeless man instead of buying Thunderbirds merchandise.

“As a parent, nothing warms the heart more than a selfless eight-year-old,” Rebecca said.

Rebecca said she and Byron couldn’t be prouder of the thoughtful choices Mackenzie continues to make.

Mackenzie surrounded by her biggest supporters, her five sisters, as she prepares to donate her hair and raise money for kids with cancer

How Mackenzie is Helping Kids With Cancer

Mackenzie isn’t just donating her hair.

She’s raising money for the Kids With Cancer Foundation’s Wigs 4 Kids program, which provides custom-made wigs for children who lose their hair during cancer treatment.

The money raised also helps ease the financial burden many families face while a child is undergoing treatment and funds support services within paediatric oncology hospitals around Australia.

For many children, losing their hair is one of the hardest parts of cancer treatment. A custom-made wig helps restore confidence and allows them to feel a little more like themselves during an incredibly difficult time.

Why Fundraising Matters

Hair donations are an important part of the Wigs 4 Kids program, but creating a bespoke wig is expensive.

That’s why Mackenzie is also asking the community to help her reach her $2,000 fundraising goal. Every dollar raised helps support kids with cancer and their families when they need it most.

How You Can Help

Mackenzie’s big haircut will take place at Horizon Christian School on Thursday, August 20, with the school proudly getting behind her mission.

Her family knows reaching $2,000 in just a few weeks is a big ask, but they also know country communities have a wonderful way of rallying behind a good cause.

If you’d like to support one very big-hearted little girl from Balaklava as she helps kids with cancer, you can donate to her fundraising page here.

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