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11-Year-Old Girl Finally Donates Her Hair to Charity After Waiting Half Her Life

The back of Poppy's head showing how long her hair is, which comes down to her waist. She is wearing a pink top and is sitting in her living room.

For many years, people have been chopping off their long locks and sporting shorter ‘dos to donate their excess hair to the Little Princess Trust. This incredible charity provides real hair wigs to children who have lost their own hair due to cancer treatment or other reasons. However, when Poppy Lee-Burrowes wanted to donate her hair at the age of five, she was told that the charity couldn’t make wigs from afro hair.

But Poppy, determined and relentless, never gave up. She continued growing her hair for the next six years, hoping that the policy would eventually change. And it did – in April 2021.

Jessica and Beki placing a kiss on each of Poppy's cheeks. They are all wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts, and Poppy is grinning at the camera.

Now 11 years old, Poppy is finally ready to fulfill her long-awaited dream of donating her hair to the Little Princess Trust. On January 29, she will be cutting off about eight inches of her hair. Despite knowing that she will miss her “big hair, don’t care” look, Poppy believes that her hair will bring joy to others who need it more than she does.

“I want to do it because of the people who won’t have hair. I want to be generous and help,” says Poppy. Her generosity doesn’t stop at donating her hair; she has also set up a fundraising page to raise money for the wig-making charity. Poppy understands the impact her hair donation can make, stating, “It costs £550 to make just one wig for a child.”

Poppy’s determination and selflessness have inspired many, including her proud mom, Jessica. Jessica recalls that six years ago, Poppy expressed her desire to cut her hair after hearing about her friends doing the same. When they learned that the Little Princess Trust couldn’t accept afro hair, Jessica was disappointed but understood the challenges involved in making the wigs.

Thanks to the collaboration between the Little Princess Trust and London company Raoul, the charity can now accept afro hair donations. Afro hair is delicate and prone to breakage during the wig-making process. However, with the development of a wefting method, the Little Princess Trust can now create wigs using afro hair, providing children with more options and helping them maintain their identity.

This is a significant step forward, and Poppy’s moms, Jessica and Beki, couldn’t be happier. Beki believes that accepting afro hair is crucial to help all children and allow them to retain their unique identity.

Poppy’s story has inspired many, and if you’d like to learn more about her haircut or donate to this worthy cause, visit Poppy’s Afro Chop page on Just Giving.