Mum Elizabeth Duffin and her teen daughter Courtney braved a headshave to raise £650 for the children’s oncology ward at Bristol Hospital at the weekend.
Miss Duffin, 46, has been struck by cervical cancer three times and was delighted when her 16-year-old daughter agreed to go under the clippers with her.
The pair, from Calne, offered to do the headshave in public at a Halloween fun day in Langley Burrell Village hall on Sunday and raised most of their fundraising total in just one week.
Event organiser Kelly Pritchard, whose baby Alfie-Ray Clark was treated for cancer at the ward, attracted the mother and daughter team’s support by advertising on Facebook.
Miss Duffin, who has been in remission for a year, was supported in her fundraising quest by fellow employees at Leonard Cheshire Disability in Trowbridge.
Courtney, who is studying for A-Levels at John Bentley School in Calne, said: “It was surprisingly quite quick because they cut it off first and then just shaved it “It was really strange to see all the hair on the floor. I was a bit upset at first, but I feel all right now. We went to the shops yesterday and everyone was staring at us.
“Everyone says to us ‘I think you did a really good job’ so it’s really nice. It’s really cold so we’ve had to stock up on hats and I start back at school on Wednesday so it will be funny to see what my friends have to say.”
Sherston couple Kelly Pritchard, 34, and Darren Clark, 32, lost 18-month-old Alfie in August 2012, four months after he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer.
Miss Pritchard’s 13-year-old son TJ Mullan, who goes to Malmesbury School, also went for a number one cut at Sunday’s event and shaved off his four-inch-long locks.
Funds from the day will also go to Families Against Neuroblastoma, a children’s cancer charity.
Miss Pritchard said: “He had it in a Mohican. It was nice to have his support, both my children have really helped out recently with the events I have done.
“I am proud of him for doing it and it’s fantastic that people were willing to do the headshave. Elizabeth had a week’s notice and within a week she raised £600.”
Donate at www.just giving.com/kelly-pritchard6
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here