By:Brian Shappell
CRANBURY – Danica Presepe has a lot in common with other 12-year-old girls a zest for sports like soccer and basketball, an interest in hanging out with friends and an enjoyment of R ‘n’ B music, particularly the group Destiny’s Child.
Danica also has shown herself to be extraordinarily generous. Last summer she decided to donate her hair to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for children receiving chemotherapy.
The young Cranburian is preparing to get much of her 22 ½ inches of hair cut off this weekend, after growing it for approximately eight months.
Danica, a sixth-grade student at the Cranbury School, met a 12-year-old girl at a cheerleading camp last summer who had lost her hair due to the treatment for cancer and the two formed a fast friendship.
“She was really nice and made me realize a lot of kids might get made fun of for stuff like that,” Danica said. “I felt bad for people who’ve lost their hair and I wanted to give them a gift my hair.”
Soon after meeting the girl, who Danica said she didn’t want to name because it might embarrass her, she decided to look into the Locks of Love program, which she had heard people talking about in the past. Danica and her mother, Jean, soon found themselves searching the Internet for the organization.
Locks of Love is a nonprofit, Florida-based organization that excepts donations of hair and makes wigs for financially disadvantaged children who have lost their hair due to illness. The organization, which began in 1997 has helped more than 400 children since its inception.
Danica said she was stuck by her friend’s bravery, especially since she had continued with cheerleading, an activity she had been involved in for years.
“She’s got a lot of guts to be a cheerleader; I’ve heard that a lot of people make fun of her,” Danica said. “I don’t know if I’d have the guts to keep doing it. But she does and she’s really good.”
Though growing her hair to an appropriate length, Danica said she plans to do this every couple of years.
“I think, after the cut, I might start again,” Danica said. “If I could do it every few years, it would make me feel good because they might feel better because they got hair.”
Danica said she’s received a lot of support from her mom, her grandparents and, especially, her friends.
“My friends are a big part of my life,” Danica said. “I love hanging out with them because they’re so fun to be around.”
Danica said her decision to donate has a couple of her friends planning to become donors in the Locks of Love program as well.
“They’re proud of me for doing it,” she said.
Donated hair is evaluated for its usefulness according to the following guidelines: the donated hair must be at least 10 inches in length; it must be bundled in a pony tail or braid and it must be free of hair damaged by chemical processing.
More information, including the address for donations is available at www.locksoflove.org
