Youngster sheds locks
for children who are ill
Taryn Ladeau, 9,
of Howell, donates
hair to Locks of Love
Sue Bertola-Wolf, a hairstylist and partner at Salon Cérmone, Manalapan, presents Taryn Ladeau, 9, of Howell with a certificate recognizing her donation of hair to Locks of Love, an organization that creates hair prosthetics for children with medical hair loss.
Taryn Ladeau, 9, of Howell, has more courage than most women triple her age. Clutching her good luck panda bear and donned in a plastic cape, she displayed that courage graciously in the name of humanitarianism.
Taryn had 14 inches of her 24-inch long dark hair shorn off on the afternoon of June 13. Inspired by something she saw on television, the fourth-grader at the Aldrich School in Howell told Greater Media Newspapers she thought she could make a child feel better by giving them her hair.
The haircut was styled and supervised by Sue Bertola-Wolf, hairstylist and partner at Salon Cérmone, Manalapan, and was sponsored by Locks of Love, a not-for-profit organization based in Palm Springs, Fla. According to printed material provided by Locks of Love, the charity "provides happiness to financially disadvantaged children under the age of 18 with medical hair loss."
Locks of Love creates custom-fitted hair prosthetics free of charge or on a sliding scale for children whose families meet certain income guidelines. The organization began in 1997 and has helped more than 400 children to date. The literature stated that children comprise more than 80 percent of the donations, making this a charity where children have the opportunity to help other children.
Bertola-Wolf had her hair snipped off for Locks of Love two years ago and did it again in the name of charity in June. Bertola-Wolf said the salon is an official sponsor of Locks of Love and offers free haircuts and styling to community members who volunteer to have 10 inches or more of hair cut off by staff members, to be donated to this worthy cause.
"We need hair from men and women, young and old, all colors and races," Bertola-Wolf said, adding that it takes 10 to 12 ponytails to make one hair piece which costs a minimum of $3,000. "Hair donations are crucial to help less fortunate children gain self-esteem and confidence that will help improve their quality of life."
Bertola-Wolf said her salon has already donated 258 feet of hair to Locks of Love.
Taryn "gave it up" in front of an audience of supporters and well-wishers including her mother, Janet, her father, Ward, and her brother, Jonathan, 11. She approached the event with a bit of anticipation about the unknown.
"What will I look like? What will it feel like?" surely must have been thoughts that raced through the youngster’s mind. Taryn’s mother, Janet, said Taryn has her hair trimmed regularly.
This was different.
The only other real haircut the youngster has had was at the age of 3. Ladeau explained that the family was scheduled to have a family portrait done. Jonathan thought he’d get his sister, then 3, ready by giving her a new "hairdo." Mom said a chunk of hair on each side and one from the back necessitated a cancellation of the portrait but has provided an indelibly etched memory for the family members and their friends.
Bertola-Wolf shampooed and wrapped Taryn’s long hair into a ponytail and explained that she asks her clients to choose someone to "cut" the ponytail.
Taryn chose her brother, a selection which her mother found ironic after Jonathan’s last attempt to style his sister’s hair.
Jonathan approached his sister with caution and a sense of anticipation but it didn’t last long. With a little help from Bertola-Wolf, a few snips was all it took and Taryn’s long-awaited moment had arrived.
She’d done what she set out to do. Apparently, those who came to support her and her efforts were not totally surprised that Taryn wanted to do this because they knew the nature of the child herself.
Taryn’s Girl Scout leader, Marcie Nowicki of Howell, had two reasons for being involved with Locks of Love; Taryn, whom she’s known since the child was in her Brownie troop, and her 14-year-old niece who recently died of cancer in Florida. Nowicki said her niece had received hair from the organization at the age of 11.
"Locks of Love made my niece’s last couple of years wonderful," Nowicki said, adding that she only associates Locks of Love with "good stuff."
Nowicki said she is proud of Taryn, noting, "She’s as pretty inside as she is outside."
The anxious feelings of before now seem toned down, smoothed out as Taryn viewed herself in the mirror. She felt good about what she had just done.
"It feels weird though, but good," said the youngster.
Art Beins, owner of Art Beins’ Karate Super Center, Howell, also said he’s proud of Taryn.
"Our relationship has been more than just a student-teacher relationship. We’ve seen good times and bad times," Beins said, adding that Taryn had "lots of courage" to voluntarily part with her hair, considering all the peer pressure she may have to deal with.
"Her actions said, ‘Take me as I am,’ " Beins stated.
Enid Solomon, an assistant in the main office of the Aldrich School, said Taryn is very special to her. They have had a very close bond over the years Taryn has attended the school and Solomon said she was honored to have been asked to come to support Taryn on the special day.