5-YEAR-OLD GIRL DONATES HAIR TO LOCKS OF LOVE

On Tuesday, Aug. 7, 5-year-old Danielle Greable had a 10 a.m. appointment at Hair Works in Jackson. It is the first time she cut the back of her hair, ever. This was no ordinary appointment for Danielle or her mother, Kim.

Last November Kim Greable had made an appointment at Great Clips for Hair in Cape Girardeau. It was there she learned about the Locks of Love program.

Greable was asked by the hairdresser if she'd like to make a donation of hair because she planned to cut nearly 11 inches of hair off. The minimum requirement is 10 inches.

Locks of Love collects hair from beauty shop patrons and donates the hair to victims of cancer and fire, for wigs. Not all beauty shops participate in the program.

Dawn Abney at Hair Works gave the plastic bag with 19 inches of beautiful hair to Danielle's mother, to be sent away to an address she has at home.

Kim Greable said, "They sent it away for me at Great Clips but this way is really nice because Danielle gets to participate in the process more." When Greable donated her hair, she had to fill out a form and later on she got a postcard in the mail as confirmation. Information was included about where her donation would be used.

Recently mother and daughter watched a TV show that featured a child guest, completely bald from cancer treatments. On the show, the cancer victim received hair from a child donor, also on the show. "This is when Danielle made up her mind," said Kim Greable. "Before then she went back and forth with the idea."

Although Danielle is following in her mother's footsteps, the idea came about completely on her own. She told her mother on the morning of the appointment, "my hair's going to be short, and it's not going to bother me anymore."

Her mother replied, "Then it will grow back again."

Danielle then replied, "And I'll just donate it again!"

Danielle goes to Shriner's Children's Hospital in St. Louis where she receives care for cerebral palsy, at no cost.

"This is a way of giving back," Kim Greable said.

Locks of Love and Wigs for Kids are independent organizations that the American Cancer Society refers people to, who wish to donate their hair.

For information, Locks of Love may be contacted at (888) 896-1588 or its Web site address is locksoflove.org. To contact Wigs for Kids, its phone number is (440) 333-4433 or its Web site address is wigsforkids.org.

Danielle will start kindergarten this year at Meadow Heights with a new hairdo.