Hair

I let my hair grow for over three years so it would be long enough to get cut off and make wigs for cancer patients.

If I let it hang loose it was driving me crazy getting in my face. In a ponytail it bumped against the backrest in my car. And I was constantly yanking out snarls.

This week I decided it was long enough, and got it cut short.

Ahh, it feels so much better!

But, to my surprise, the only places that accept grey hair for wigs make them for children with various conditions that cause hair loss, not only cancer.  I asked why places that make wigs for adults don't accept grey hair and was told adults who want wigs are more fussy and want to be sure the ones they get aren't died.

But don't people with grey hair ever need wigs?

I don't understand, but I hope my hair donation will help improve the life of some kid.

Here are the before and after photos my neighbors took for me:

Her Brown Hair

The picture book, Her Brown Hair, is called a companion piece to Her Pink Hair which is by the same author.
I reviewed that book here:
http://onwordsblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/her-pink-hair.html

But Jill Dana's newest book isn't necessarily about a cancer patient. It's about a child in the hospital and her illness isn't specified, although it could be cancer.

Her friends visit her, both at home and in the hospital, and do things to show their affection for her.

This book will help young kids understand others with serious illnesses and perhaps give them some ideas about how to help those friends. It would also make a great gift for children who have cancer or another medical condition because it would help them realize they're not alone and that other kids have experienced similar things.

The language is very simple so young children can comprehend it easily.

The illustrations are all clay figures made by the author and I found them delightful. Perhaps seeing them might inspire young readers to make gifts of clay for their friends with medical problems.

I think this book will be helpful to lots of kids; both those with serious health problems and those who care about them.

Her Pink Hair

Jill Dana has written a helpful and enjoyable book for kids who know someone dealing with cancer. Her Pink Hair doesn't go into any of the unpleasant details, but it's told from the point of view of a young girl whose friend, Stephanie, is dealing with that disease.

Dana manages to make the book comforting in spite of the usually unpleasant topic. Stephanie looses her hair, as often happens with people undergoing cancer treatments, and when it starts to grow back her mother dyes it pink.

Although her friend's death is never specifically mentioned, the protagonist imagines Stephanie now has hair that's both pink and long.

The author also did the illustrations, which are photos of cute, charming figures made of clay.

This book will be a wonderful help to children who know someone dealing with cancer. The suggested age group is for kids from five to eight years old, but some younger children might find the book helpful if their parents think they're mature enough to cope with the subject.

The author will donate part of the proceeds of the book to a charity. She doesn't specify which one, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's one that helps cancer patients or research.