Going Bald with St Baldrick's!
I love my hair. It’s thick, long, gorgeous, and never lets me down. Even when I was surviving on coffee and cigarettes and stress my hair was thick, long, and gorgeous. Even after three kids and losing half of it, it’s still thick, long and gorgeous. That said, it’s just hair: I have the choice to cut it or never cut it again, whenever I want. My hair is just part of me, and this year I will use it as a statement and a tool to raise funds for childhood cancer research.
On March 11th I will be heading over to de Vere’s Irish Pub to get my head shaved with the St Baldrick’s Foundation, and I am asking for your help to raise funds for this wonderful cause. We all have been touched by the ripple effect of cancer in our lives, whether you are or have been personally affected by the disease, or have a loved one who is or was. We all know how important cancer research is. I have three close friends who survived different childhood cancers, and know countless other friends and family members who have had cancer themselves or have been affected by it.
If you are like me you probably just assumed that all cancer research funding was equally divided based on need. Unfortunately this is not true at all. Approximately 1 in 285 children will be diagnosed with cancer in the US before the age of 20, with the average age being 6 years old. However, only 4% of federal cancer funding is dedicated to pediatric cancer research. And while it is true that more adults are diagnosed with cancer every year, this doesn’t mean that funding for children should be neglected. On the contrary, our children are the next generation, and we should all be working towards creating a better, and safer world for them.
St Baldrick’s Foundation works towards closing this funding gap, and I hope to add my drop into the ocean by raising funds to help. Cesar, my partner, who usually rocks a shaved head will also be participating on the day, and has promised not to shave his head until then (it’s going to drive him nuts, he loves keeping his hair as short as possible!).
It would make me so happy if everyone I know could chip in with a few dollars! Every little counts, and every little bit will go towards the funding of childhood cancer research. And I promise to share photos of my shaved head on March 11th! I’m not on Facebook or Instagram anymore, but you can still find me here and on Twitter, and via email at jadeannahughes@gmail.com. And please feel free to share my fundraising link below to anyone you think would be interested!
THANK YOU!!!
My fundraising page (this is just a starting goal, I hope to raise much more!).