Local Focus: Cutting it for cancer

Nirvana Kendall from Longburn, Manawatū has been growing her hair almost all of her life, with just one trim when she was five.

Now she's 9½ years old and with hair measuring over 3 feet in length, she thought it was time to cut it, and donate it to cancer victims to wear.

Nirvana has gone even further, donating the money she gets from Freedom Wigs in Dunedin, to the Arohanui Hospice Palmerston North.

When Nirvana was five she was inspired to grow her hair after her Aunt had chemotherapy and would hold her hair over her head and say 'I wish I had your hair'.

"Because half of my family has been going through cancer, I've been sitting there watching them, so now I want to help them, and today I'm going to help them," Nirvana said.

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Nirvana's mother, Haley has spent the last four years caring for the prized hair. On a daily basis she's had to spend 30 minutes plaiting or detangling it. Not to mention the time it takes to wash it too.

For Haley, cancer has swept through several family members over recent years.

"We've lost a few,"Haley said. "Still got several going through it so this is our way of helping them. You know there's the odd lucky one that beats it, but not everyone can."

As you'd expect Haley is extremely proud of Nirvana to go without a haircut for so long.

"It is a very selfless act to help so many people, in her own special way," Haley said.

And after just three quick snips of the scissors at the hairdressers and voila - three 15-inch plaits were ready for a new owner and Nirvana ahs embraced her new shoulder length cut.

"I'm loving it," Mum Haley said. "I don't know if she's going to be able to grow it again."

But Nirvana is confident: "I can I bet you. I can grow it in another 9 years."

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