4-year-old donates 10 inches of hair

POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) - A Three Rivers student says her four-year-old daughter Madison Brainard of Naylor, Mo. told her earlier this summer she wanted to cut her hair and donate it to "Lots of Love."

Amanda Brainard, who will be entering the new Physical Therapist Assistant program said she had to correct her daughter, "You mean Locks of Love, sweetheart?"

"She loved her long blonde hair," said Brainard. "She wanted to grow it out long like the Rapunzel character from the movie "Tangled." It was down past her waist."

A few weeks ago, the little girl changed her mind and decided she wanted to cut her hair and give it to those who had none.

When asked why, Madison said, "So they can send it to little kids who don't have hair because they're sick."

"Cancer runs in my family," said Brainard.  "My aunt had lung cancer and never smoked a day in her life.  One of Madison's grandfathers has skin cancer, and now her great-aunt is a stage four terminal patient who wears human hair wigs.  So Madison has heard ‘cancer talk' through family, but no one gave her this idea or pushed her to do this."

"I kept thinking she would change her mind," said Brainard.  "For about two weeks, I kept tying her hair back and showing her in the mirror – ‘Look, they're going to cut it off here.  Are you sure you want it that short?'  And she would say, ‘Yes!  When can we go see Jenna?'"

Brainard took her daughter to stylist Jenna Clark.

"She sat there like a pro," said Brainard.  "She didn't cry or anything.  I think she actually enjoyed it."

Brainard reports the hair was delivered to the United Cancer Assistance Network in Poplar Bluff. The UCAN helps coordinate hair donations to Locks of Love.

When asked what she would say if she saw another child wearing her hair:

"I'd tell them it was pretty," said Madison.

Maybe she remembers in "Tangled," a princess uses her magical hair to heal.

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