DEARBORN – More than 12 girls from Iris Becker Elementary School here volunteered to have their hair  cut and donated to the charity, Children With Hair Loss on Thursday as a large crowd of students watched cheering them on for reaching out to disease stricken children.  

Left: Parent Lila Chami stands with her daughter, who donated her hair to Children With Hair Loss and Patricia Makssoud whose daughter sought help from the organization after she was diagnosed with cancer. Makssoud and her daughter brought the idea of the event to the school, which now plans on holding it annually. PHOTO: Natasha Dado/TAAN

Children With Hair Loss provides locks of hair to young people with cancer, Alopecia, burns, Trichotillomania and other rare diseases and disorders. The idea of getting girls to participate came from Patricia Makssoud, a teacher at the school whose 17-year-old daughter Elena Makssoud had to undergo chemotherapy treatment at the age of 11 after being diagnosed with cancer. 

Patricia says when her daughter’s hair started to fall out she turned to the charity, which gave Elena hair locks and other related items. In addition to hair, the charity also supplies children with hats, and hair care kits at no cost. 

Elena, an honor roll student at Dearborn High School wanted to give back to the charity, and partnered up with her mother to make the event possible. 

 Elena, who’s recovered, also spoke to children, and brought some to tears including staff and parents while discussing her own personal experience with battling cancer.  

Two hair stylists, Fatima Aoude from Sabaya Forever Salon here and Amira Assi donated their time to cut the girls’ hair. Even children who didn’t donate hair locks still managed to give back to the charity through monetary proceeds. Many of the girls donated close to eight inches of hair, and received bracelets as a gifts for participating.  

Ayda El-Saghir the treasurer for the school’s PTA says staff members plan on hosting the event  annually moving forward.  

“By doing this we’re not only giving back to Children With Hair Loss, we’re also instilling a sense of community service in our children and teaching them to participate in goodwill efforts at a young age,” she said. 

“It’s just hair, we encourage everyone to get their family members to participate in something like this,” she said.  To find out how you can donate to Children With Hair Loss visit, www.cwhlmi.org.