Wintec tutor docks locks for a cure

Eight-years to grow, minutes to remove. Tutor asks for donations to a cancer charity after shaving his head.

 

Academic member of staff at Wintec, Stephen White, had his shoulder-length hair shorn for a cure last week.

Stephen works in the Centre for Health and  Social Practice and had been growing his mop since he first came to Wintec eight years ago.

Stephen made the decision to cut his flowing locks  after watching daughter, Bailee White, battle Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

“My prime reason is having experienced what Bailee was going through and also seeing  the other children in the ward,” Stephen says

His daughter, fittingly, was the one to make the first snips, taking off his ponytail as Stephen noted “it is a very unnerving feeling”.

Bailee, who was diagnosed in 2013, is now in remission but still suffers bone and leg pain from her treatment.

Her bone and muscle structure was damaged and doctors expect the pain to remain for the rest of her life.

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ALL OFF: Eight-years of brushing, washing and trips to the hairdresser, in a pile on the floor. Photo: Charlie Scott

She is now in her final year of college and wants to become a radiography technician, to help those with cancer, when she is older.

Shave For a Cure is attempting to raise $2-million to help cancer patients as well as their families and to fund research into better treatment.

So far Stephen has raised around $600 and hopes this will increase.

Donations for his effort will be open until this time next year.

To donate go to:

https://secure.leukaemia.net.nz/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?registrationID=856133&langPref=en-CA&Referrer=http%3a%2f%2fwww.shaveforacure.co.nz%2fGet%2bInvolved%2fHow%2bto%2bShave%2fIndividuals.html#&panel1-3

After all Stephen’s hair had fallen to the floor he noted he felt “weird”.

“But,” he said, “Now I can eat an ice-cream in the wind.”