Fifth-grader Jacob Rollin is a typical, energetic 11-year-old boy. He has strong ideas and a big heart. But perhaps one his most defining features was his super long hair.
“Three or four years ago I didn’t want to cut my hair. I wanted to let it grow,” he says. His hair grew to be a thick, long mass of waves that extended down his back. In December of last year, Jacob made the decision that he would donate his hair to a cancer program that makes wigs for children fighting the disease.
“My aunt gave me the idea,” he explains. Three years ago, his aunt Cindy Rollin donated her hair to Angel Hair for Kids, another Canadian organization that donates wigs, free of charge, to children with cancer. Jacob’s grandmother, Louise Rollin, located another donation program on Decarie Boulevard in Montreal. The DonEspoir Cancer Program – CanDonate Hair Foundation program gives free wigs to children with cancer in Quebec.
Making a wig
There are guidelines for hair donations. The hair must be at least a minimum of 12 inches in length (curly hair must stay curled when calculating the length). One wig requires 10,000 to 50,000 strands of hair that are woven by hand. That is approximately eight ounces of hair, depending on its length. Because many people do not have this amount of hair to donate, it can take several donors to gather enough to make one wig.
Each natural-hair wig costs $1200 to make, with retail values that can reach $3000. The DonEspoir Cancer Program-CanDonate Hair Foundation program gives these wigs to kids in need free of charge.
The big day
The hair to be donated needs to be cut a certain way, Jacob explains. “You need a hairdresser that will cut it and put it in a bag and give it to you. You ship it out.” Hairdresser Judy Yuille of Ormstown was the person for the job, and Jacob had his hair appointment over the Christmas break.
He was nervous when he first walked in the salon. “The hairdresser combed my hair through. She did a bunch of ponytails, maybe six different ponytails. Then she cut them off one by one.” He remembers the moment his hair was cut. “It felt super light. I was waving my head around and I looked kind of dumb.”
After the Christmas holiday, Jacob arrived at school with his hood up, but he soon revealed his new look to his classmates. For the most part he is nonchalant about his gift. “I recommend doing this. After a week or two you forget you cut it.”