This is the moment a schoolboy who had hair down to his KNEES had the first cut of his LIFE – to raise money for charity.
Brave Rahim Woods, 11, had always refused to visit a barbers – but with secondary school looming he had no choice.
He visited a hairdresser who shed almost all of his 3ft locks – which had reached his knees.
His parents had encouraged him to have a chop ready for starting secondary school in September – but knew Rahim would take some persuading.
So the family came up with the idea of getting charity sponsorship.
Friends and family gathered for the big chop at The Eden Centre in High Wycombe, Bucks., on July 25.
Rahim has raised more than £1,500 for a cancer charity and is donating the hair to people who lose their hair to the cruel disease.
He said: “I’m so happy that I donated my hair and raised so much money and I’m happy other children will be able to have some hair.
“I guess my hair is special because I donated it to charity but it’s not special in that it had a superpower or something like that.
“It was a change because quite a few people called me a girl and now with my short hair they will call me a boy.
“Because I’m growing up I wanted to show everybody what I would look like with short hair.
“I think I prefer having short hair. I have a hair wax obsession now.
“When I go into my room, randomly, I just have to use it and spike my hair up, it’s the thrill of being able to change it.”
Rahim, from High Wycombe, added: “I was a bit nervous and I didn’t like the sound of the scissors going through my hair because I had never felt that before.
“When I was in the chair all my friends were comforting me and making me laugh.”
He is now enjoying not having to comb his hair everyday or use copious amounts of shampoo and conditioner.
Proud mum Natalie, 34, an accounts assistant, said: “He was so attached to his hair, people don’t understand how important it was to him.
“When his hair started being cut I had to walk away. I am so happy we are raising the money but as his mum I did have a moment.”
“It was the first time he has had his hair cut since he was born.
“He really is a sensitive boy and he likes helping people.”
“Other people have said ‘It’s only hair’ but it’s not. Other kids have a teddy bear or a blanket and Rahim had his hair.
“He is so happy about the money that has been raised, if it wasn’t for that maybe he would have had second thoughts.”
Rahim’s hair was braided into two huge plaits before being cut, packed and sent to The Little Princess Trust to be made into wigs for children suffering from cancer.
Once his locks were lopped Rahim took a trip to the family hairdresser to have his hair styled for the first time.
Rahim’s initial fundraising target was £500, but in just three days raised £1,565 for the Thomas Ball Children’s Cancer Fund.
Rahim added: “Some of my family and friends knew Thomas Ball, so to help them I donated my hair.”
The Thomas Ball Children’s Cancer Fund was established in 1999 by nine-year-old Thomas Ball, who lost his own battle with cancer in 2003, to relieve sickness and distress among children suffering from cancer.
Elaine Ball, Thomas’ mother, and chairman of the charity, said: “We feel incredibly fortunate that the family chose to support our charity.
“It was great to finally meet the family especially Rahim who actually thanked me for setting up the event when all the credit is his.”
To donate go to www.justgiving.com/Rahimshaircut
