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A charity that has supplied thousands of wigs to unwell children across the world is launching in New Zealand.
Little Princess Trust has teamed up with Great Lengths Hair Extensions, to provide “princess hair” to children and young people who have lost their hair through cancer treatment or other illnesses.
The Trust was founded by Wendy and Simon Tarplee, after their daughter Hannah was diagnosed with wilms tumour, a type of kidney cancer in 2004.
It was very traumatic for 5-year-old Hannah to lose her hair, and her parents searched everywhere for a wig that would suit her.
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When Hannah passed away in 2005, her parents were inundated with offers of help, but felt the most fitting tribute would be to launch a charity dedicated to providing real hair wigs for children and young people.
Since then, Little Princess Trust has gone global, providing over 15,000 free wigs to those who need them.
Little Princess Trust/Supplied
Little Princess Trust are providing wigs for kids that need them, all around the world.
This includes people like Beth, from the UK, who was diagnosed with non Hodgkin’s Lymphona in 2022, and had to undergo chemotherapy treatment.
Beth, an ambassador for Little Princess Trust, shared her story on their website, saying her hair is a big part of who she is.
“I was in complete distress at the sight of my hair falling out, I felt I lost a huge part of my identity.”
Beth said receiving a wig “brought the joy back” into her life, making her “feel empowered and not ashamed to be seen in public”.
Nine-year-old Emily, from Dublin, was diagnosed with alopecia at just 18 months old, and fell in love with her wig – so much so, that her family raised money for the charity while running the Dublin marathon.
In its hair endeavours in Aotearoa, Great Lengths, will be visiting salons throughout the country in its bid to gather as much hair as possible to give flowing locks to more princesses.
Karen Aubin, from Great Lengths AU and NZ, said the company was “excited” to partner with The Little Princess Trust.
“[It’s] an organisation that is doing such important work in supporting children and families during a difficult time,” Aubin said.
“We are committed to making a real difference to the lives of children who have lost their hair.”
There are five salons throughout the country – Iron and Ivy, H&B Hair Art and Beauty, Zibido, The Following Hair Company and H&Co Hair Salon.
Little Princess Trust/Supplied
Beth reached out to Little Princess Trust after being diagnosed with non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
The hair will be sent to the charity, then to specialist wigmakers for each child, with their individual needs and preferences in mind.
As well as gathering hair, the charity began raising money to fund research into less “aggressive” and “less toxic” cancer treatment for children.
So far, the charity has raised £21m (NZD $42m), which has led to 115 research projects being funded.
If you’re looking for a way to get involved in the charity, Little Princess accepts donations from all over the world, and not just from hair salons.
For more information on how you can donate hair, and how to cut it yourself, head to the Little Princess Trust’s website.
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