Kozhikode: Sisters donate their tresses for cancer patients during lockdown

KOZHIKODE: Shaving head is the new style statement for men during coronavirus lockdown in Kerala. But recently two sisters chopped off their heavy locks of hair, but for a novel reason.
S K Anjali Vineeth, 20, and her sister S K Anjana Vineeth, 16, residing at Chevarambalam in Kozhikode district decided to go an extra mile of tonsorial challenge and shaved their head completely to donate their long hair to make wigs for cancer patients.
Seeing their genuine cause, volunteers of Miracle Charitable Association, Thrissur engaged in providing distribution of free wigs to cancer patients hailing from poor families and undergoing chemotherapy visited their home to collect the hair donated by the duo.
Anjali who completed her degree at Providence Women’s College said that it was one of her long-cherished wish to donate hair to make a wig for the cancer patients.’’ My father Vineeth Kumar and mother Priya welcomed our decision about the tonsorial challenge of complete head shave,’’ she said adding that her friend and her sister also donated their hair after her gesture. "If more youth come forward to donate hair then it will be helpful for many women who have undergone chemotherapy to get free wigs,’’ she said.,
Anjana, is a plus one student of St Joseph’s Anglo Indian School said that she feels good about the new look. "We also got lots of appreciation from our peers and friends. If our gesture brings a smile on someone's face then that’s the best thing,’’ she said.
Meanwhile, Ummar Farook, state coordinator of hair bank of Miracle Charitable Association said that they have been supplying free wigs to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at Kozhikode Government Medical College hospital and Cochin Cancer Centre and cancer patients from across the state who cannot afford to buy the wig for Rs 8000 above.
At present, we have got requests from 17 cancer patients residing in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Pathanamthitta and two hospitals to get free wigs. He said adding that they need hair from six persons to make a single wig. We have been getting requests from across the state expressing willingness to donate hair. The collected hair is handed over to a wig manufacturing unit in Chennai to make free size wigs.