Christian Mcphilamy

What were you doing at age six? Playing in a playground? Whining about vegetables? Well Christian McPhilamy had just decided he wanted to donate his hair to children with cancer. In 2015 Christian McPhilamy donated his hair to a foundation that helps kids who have lost  their hair to cancer or other things.He was very brave to do this at such a young age and I want to showcase that.

In late 2012 six year old Christian McPhilamy saw an ad for St Jude’s children’s research hospital and was inspired to start growing out his hair. He grew out his hair for two and a half years until he finally donated his hair in 2015. During those two and a half years he was insulted and bullied but stuck with it which required immense bravery and determination. He was told by adults and children that he “looked like a girl” or some people suggested it was “time to cut it”. He was immensely determined to be able to stick with it even while being taunted and he did so at such a young age where people’s words really have an affect on you.

Christian McPhilamy donated four ten to twelve inch ponytails to the foundation Children With Hair Loss in 2015. This supported kids who had lost their hair to cancer treatments, Alopecia Trichotillomania, Burns etc. his hair was given to kids who had been affected by any of these at no cost. He values equality and fairness so when he saw that kids out there were struggling after losing their hair he chose to help.

Christian McPhilamy is brave, determined, empathetic and kind. Christian McPhilamy may have only donated 4 pony tails, but when I was five or six I read the book Stories For Boys Who Dare To Be Different, and his story was in this book. My young self read this and thought “I could do that too”. So for two years I grew out my hair and donated my own hair to a charity and even though I faced people who made the same comments that people made to him, I stuck with it just like he did. So even though he only donated his hair once he inspired many young people to do the same. His effect was much larger than himself and stretched to other young people who donated their hair.