Local Teen Gives the Gift of Hair at Christmas Time
By: Nicole DeSonia

The beautiful tresses took two and a half years to grow, but they took less than two and a half minutes to cut off.

Hayfield Secondary School graduate Danielle DeSonia, 18, donated her hair to Locks-of-Love just before Christmas.

Locks-of-Love is a non-profit organization that uses donated hair to make high quality, human hair wigs for kids that are financially disadvantaged.  These kids suffer from long-term medical hair loss called alopecia areata.  There is no none cause or cure for this disease.

DeSonia, a former Hawks soccer player, had the minimum 10-inch donation requirement cut off her hair for the second time in the past three years.

“I wanted to grow it out again because I like it long, but donating it feels really good,” DeSonia said.

DeSonia’s hair was cut by David Bakir of Jon David’s salon in Springfield.  Bakir separated DeSonia’s long mane into two ponytails, then cut each off individually.  Salon customers watched in amazement as DeSonia’s long, below the waist length hair was cut into a shoulder length bob.

The two ponytails DeSonia’s hair made up will only make up a portion of what is needed to create a hairpiece for a child.  According to the Locks-of-Love website, it takes six to 10 donated ponytails to make up one hairpiece.

Of the almost 2,000 donations received by the non-profit organization each week, 80 percent have been donated by children wanting to help children, like DeSonia. The organization works hard to help restore kids’ self-esteem and confidence by providing them with wigs, free of charge.

“She can help other people and I am proud of her for doing that,” DeSonia’s mother, Robin DeSonia said.

By people hearing what DeSonia has done twice now, both DeSonia and her mother hope it will motivate others to follow in her footsteps.  Any donation can be used to help create wigs for both men and women, no matter the color and no matter the race.

“The last time she did it, two of her cousins decided to do it too,” said her mother.  “Now one of them has gotten her hair cut again (to donate) and the other one is growing it out and as soon as it is long enough is going to cut it and donate it.”

DeSonia’s signature braided ponytail flew around as she played on the soccer field at Hayfield and now flies around on the field at Coastal Carolina University, where she is a scholarship athlete.
It may be gone now, but DeSonia already has new plans.

“I think I’ll grow it back again and get it cut in another two to two and a half years,” she said.

For more information about Locks-of-Love or to find out how to make a donation, visit www.locksoflove.org