Junior school staff in Milton Keynes brave the big shave in aid of pupil's campaign

Staff at Akeley Wood Junior School had a hair-raising experience when they took to the barber's chair earlier this month in support of the fundraising efforts of a Year 3 pupil recently diagnosed with leukaemia.
Akeley Wood Junior School fundraiser for MaddisonAkeley Wood Junior School fundraiser for Maddison
Akeley Wood Junior School fundraiser for Maddison

Six members of staff raised over £1,700 by shaving their heads as part of Maddison Harris’ efforts to raise money for CLIC Sargent’s Young Lives vs Cancer campaign.

Seven-year-old Maddison Harris was diagnosed with leukaemia at the end of November 2017. On November 5, Maddison was taken to John Radcliffe Hospital unable to walk from pain in her spine and, later that day, it was discovered that her spine was fractured in two vertebrae. On November 21, the cause of her spinal fracture was revealed, and she was diagnosed with Leukaemia (acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and AML amplification 1).

Having just started a course of chemotherapy that will be administered over a 2-year treatment period, Maddison is expected to experience hair loss.

She decided to fundraise for CLIC Sargent, a charity that provides specialist support to help and guide each young cancer patient and their family, and show people that hair loss does not have to be something to fear.

Maddison initially nominated a few close friends to shave their heads as part of her campaign ‘Don’t Stare, It’s Only Hair’. Ultimately, though, the whole Akeley Wood School community was keen to get involved.

Donations were collected throughout the week leading up to the event and sealed bids taken for students to make the first the cut.

Then, on Friday January 12, the six members of staff who had volunteered had their hair shaved off during a whole school assembly.

You can read more about Maddy’s story and campaign#Don’tStareIt’sOnlyHair by visiting: https://www.justgiving.com/…/bebraveandshavebegreatanddonate