INSPIRED by her grandmother, a young girl braved having her hair cut in support of cancer charity the Little Princess Trust.
Vinaya Lad, five, from Radford, made the selfless decision to donate her hair to the charity which provides real hair wigs to boys and girls across the country who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment.
In 2008, before Vinaya was even born, her grandmother died from cancer.
Since then, the family have been dedicated to raising money for cancer charities.
This year, Vinaya took it upon herself to donate something personally valuable, to show her generosity and compassion for children living with cancer.
She told Coventry Observer she was excited to have her hair cut – knowing it would help other children who have lost their own hair.
Vinaya’s older cousin, Jelisha Mistry, 19 – a student at Coventry University – also donated her hair to the same trust, as a tribute to their grandmother.
The charity hair cut took place on Friday (May 19) – a date close to the girls’ hearts as it marked the birthday of their late grandmother.
Vinaya’s mother Kalpna Lad said: “I am extremely proud of both girls for being so selfless and wanting to donate their hair to the Little Princess Trust.
“My own mum passed away from cancer in 2008 and I saw how the treatment made her lose her hair and the synthetic nature of the wigs available weren’t at all natural and you could tell she was wearing a wig.
“It was hard enough seeing an adult go through it so I cannot imagine how heartbreaking it would be to see a child go through it.”
As of yet, the family has raised £1035 through the online fundraiser JustGiving.
They have also received over £150 in paper donations.
People can continue to sponsor Vinaya and Jelisha in support of cancer research at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chop-it-off
