Baylee Shaves For A Cure
My name is Baylee Filer, and 2 years ago I decided I wanted to shave my hair off to support people living with cancer, and to also help raise money and awareness.
Because I was only 11 years old, my parents said it might be best if I wait until I was older. I mean, it is a huge thing to do if you are a girl, shaving all your hair off. So I waited. The following year I still wanted to do it, but again my parents said just wait. I guess they were worried about me. Some kids can be mean and they were protecting me, I can see that now.
Fast forward to this year, I started at Otumoetai College. 13 Years old, big new school, new experiences to be had, new friends to be made. It was scary, but I was excited.
Otumoetai college runs their Shave For A Cure every year, and once I heard about it, my heart was set hard on shaving. I told my Mum and Dad, ‘That’s it, 2 years you have told me to wait and I did, Im doing it this year…… end of story’.
They were very supportive of me. They did talk to me about what might happen afterwards, how some kids might be mean or call me names. But I did not care, I wanted to help people, help raise money to support people living with such a horrible disease. Show them it’s not the end of the world to loose your hair.
I started fundraising straight away. Emailing businesses, friends and family. The support and words of encouragement were amazing. I had no idea I would have so many people backing me to do this. There were people I did not know, friends of my Mum and Dad that they went to school with when they were my age. So many people offering donations and words of encouragement.
As the day got closer I got a little bit nervous, but I knew what I was going to do would help so many people.
On the day of the shave, I had raised $1392 all by myself. They mentioned my effort while I was on the stage getting my hair shaved off, everybody cheered for me. My head was cold. I sat there, not knowing what I looked like. I ran my hand over my head, it felt strange not to have a thick pony tail to grab.
Once they had finished I walked to the side of the stage nervously. My friends rushed up to me. “Way to go Baylee”. “Baylee you are so brave”. “well done Bay, you look amazing”. They touched my head, they hugged me. I felt so good, so proud of myself.
When I first saw myself it was a shock. But you know it actually looks pretty good I reckon. After all, it’s just hair, it will grow back, and I don’t have to suffer a horrible sickness along with my hair loss. I’m a lucky one.
I also decided, because I had long hair, to donate my hair to Freedom Hair. They take people’s long hair and make it into wigs and hairpieces so that people suffering from cancer and hair loss can have natural looking wigs.
So that’s my story about my Shave. I wanted to help people, and I did. I wanted to raise awareness, and I did. People say I was brave. I just think I did a good thing to help people.
Thank you to everyone who donated and left me messages of support, it really REALLY meant a lot to me.
Baylee Filer, 8th Gup Hwa-Rang TKD 27 March 2014