An 11-year-old boy had his first ever haircut—chopping off 38 inches of his knee-length hair for charity after years of being asked why he “looks like a girl.”
Aaron Gill started growing his hair after accompanying his big sister, Julianna, to oncology wards throughout their childhood. Julianna, 15, has a rare autoimmune disorder called Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) in which the immune system starts destroying the blood-clotting platelets.
Aaron has donated his locks to The Little Princess Trust, who will arrange for them to be made into wigs for children undergoing cancer treatment.
Aaron, who turned 11 in June and will be starting secondary school soon, has also raised more than 2,000 pounds ($2,570) which will be split between The Little Princess Trust and The Sophie Lancaster Foundation.
Aaron’s father, Adam, 42, said: “He used to ask why so many patients were bald and then decided he wanted to donate his hair. We didn’t push him.
“Aaron has dealt with comments all of his life asking why his hair is so long or why he looks like a girl. So he is very conscious that people should be able to look how they want.
“I am very proud of him, he has got a very big heart. He wants to do the right thing, so it doesn’t surprise me.”
Aaron had the chop at Untitled Love in Scarborough on July 17.
“It was an emotional moment for him,” his father said. “He was quite shell-shocked when he saw it, and he keeps saying how light his head feels.”
Wendy Tarplee-Morris, founder of the Little Princess Trust, said: “We are so grateful to Aaron for his incredible hair donation and phenomenal fundraising.
