A 10-year-old is feeling "over the moon" after an appeal to highlight the issues of making wigs from Afro hair has resulted in her being able to donate her locks.
Carly Gorton, from 10, from Southburgh, near Hingham, wanted to shave off her hair like her friends, but found nowhere in the UK took hair like hers due to its structure.
Her family reached out to The Little Princess Trust, whose chief executive said the charity had sought advice from experts for some years to find ways to use Afro hair in wigs, but had not been able to do so.
The family then began a search to find another charity to accept it as a donation, but now the year six pupil at Norwich High School for Girls will be able to shave her hair and donate it to the Little Princess Trust to help the charity explore ways to use the hair in wigs.
The charity has also been contacted by several people expressing an interesting in helping.
Carly said: "I am so happy and thank The Little Princess Trust. I hope in future, other children like me will be able to donate their hair to be used in wigs.”
Her mum, Anna Mudeka said: “We had not anticipated the complexity which goes into making wigs in general, let alone wigs from Afro hair.
“This process really has been an eye opener and Carly is so over the moon with the outcome.
“We would like to thank wigmakers and the general public who came along to offer their support, but we would like to take this opportunity to work with The Little Princess Trust.”
Phil Brace, chief executive of The Little Princess Trust, thanked Carly for her support of the charity.
He said: “While there is no certainty that we will find a definitive solution, we feel any development is positive as it will improve the knowledge and understanding for us and, importantly, for wig manufacturers in this area.
“Carly really has provoked great conversation and debate while creating more awareness on the specific challenges of using Afro hair in wigs.”
Carly will shave her head on December 17 and has set up a fundraising page.
To donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/anna-mudeka
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