Cleckheaton girl cuts off hair to make a wig for young people with cancer

A 10-year-old girl said she feels “proud” after cutting off 13 inches of her hair to make a wig for a young person with cancer.

Lexie Warwick-Oliver, from Cleckheaton, had the chop on Saturday afternoon at Absolute Curls in Horsforth. The salon offered her a discount and gave her some curly hair products after they found out why she was having the cut.

Lexie, who has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] said: “I’m feeling really proud of myself. I felt a bit nervous having it at first, but I really like my hair now and I’m really relieved it is over and done with.”

Read more: Runaway peacock terrorising Yorkshire villagers and keeping them awake all night

Lexie's mum, Jess Warwick-Oliver, 35, added: “It’s very difficult for Lexie to let anybody touch her because of her autism, so we did struggle a bit today, but we got through it.”

The hair, which has been sectioned into roughly eight bunches, is to be posted to the Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides real hair wigs, free of charge to children and young people who have lost their hair to cancer or other conditions. Lexie will receive a certificate from the charity to congratulate her for her efforts.

In 2021, the youngster cut off 16 inches of hair, which was also donated to the charity, as well as raising £500 to support the daughter of a family friend who had leukaemia.

It took Lexie three years to grow out her hair again so that she had enough hair to cut to be turned into a wig.

Alongside the haircut, Lexie has been trying to raise money for sensory items for those with additional needs at Howard Park Community School, her primary school, including bubble lights, fidget spinners and space blankets, as she has first-hand experience of the benefits. She said: “They make me feel better, more regulated and calmer."

Ms Warwick-Oliver added: “She would like to help other children have those items as well.”

Lexie has raised close to £300 out of her £500 target, which she said she is “really happy” about. She added: “Hopefully we’ll raise more money to help more and more people at my school."

A message Lexie said she wants to share with those who have autism or ADHD is: “Don’t let anyone try to stop you from achieving your goals. Ignore them and keep going towards your goal.”

Lexie said her classmates and teachers wished her “good luck” before she had the cut, and her school also gave her a certificate to commend her for her charitable act. She hopes she can inspire others to follow suit.

“Hopefully they’ll see what I did and feel comfortable enough to cut their hair and donate to people with cancer, so it’ll make them feel better. Don’t be nervous about cutting off hair – be brave, it’ll grow back.”

Ms Warwick-Oliver said she is “so proud” of her daughter for her “selfless” drive to help others. She said: “She’s done this and it has been so selfless; she’s not done it for herself, it’s for two causes and I’m really proud of her. It’s been emotional the last couple of days and one of my friends who had cancer and had a wig in the past and has a son at the same school as Lexie who also has additional needs wrote a lovely message on Facebook and tagged us when she found out what Lexie was doing.

“She said Lexie’s helped us twice and we are all so proud of Lexie.”

You can donate to Lexie's fundraising page here.