A 12-year-old Norfolk boy grew his hair long to donate it to charity after a friend lost hers during cancer treatment, drawing praise from his teachers for his “kindness and quiet determination”.
Wyatt Evans, from Ranworth, had started growing his hair two years ago while attending primary school.
A friend had lost her hair, prompting another girl to cut hers and donate it to The Little Princess Trust, a charity which makes wigs for children with cancer.
At the time, Wyatt said it was “unfair that boys couldn’t do that”.
But his mother, Amie Evans, 34, told him he could - and even though Wyatt did not enjoy the extra washing and brushing, he declined a haircut until it was long enough to make at least two wigs.
“I actually hated it. Suddenly it got really long. It hurt when brushing, because of the knots,” Wyatt said.
Wyatt attends Acle Academy.
Staff there did not know the reason why Wyatt was growing his hair until last week and have praised his “kindness, patience and altruism”.
But what most impressed them was his “quiet determination over two years”.
Helen Watts, principal, said: “Teachers and most of his peers had no idea that Wyatt was planning to donate his hair. His act of kindness was not motivated by potential praise or public recognition, but by a quiet determination to do good.”
Wyatt said that when he first started growing his hair there was a “bit of banter” with his friends, but when they learned why he was growing his hair, they were supportive.
His mother is “incredibly proud”.
“In the early stages I didn’t think he would stick to it,” Ms Evans said.
He once told his mother that his hair was getting on his nerves and she told him he could get it cut.
Ms Evans said: “He said one day, ‘There are kids with no hair, they don’t have a choice, maybe I should have no choice’.”
Wyatt got his hair cut on Saturday (March 16) at Gentleman Jacks, a barber in Wroxham.
“It was very relieving,” Wyatt said.
He has raised over £700 to donate to the charity.
If you would like to support Wyatt you can help raise money here.
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