LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – The haircut and styling come free of charge at the University of Michigan Health Sparrow ‘Hair-A-Thon,’ but being able to provide a head of hair for someone who lost theirs to cancer treatment? Priceless.
“It’s really special, and I really like how they’re willingly giving up their hair for all the kids who don’t have any,” said 10-year-old Mary Jane Seelhoff.
Mary Jane knows what it’s like to be one of those kids who needs a new head of hair. She’s been fighting Leukemia since 2017 and was treated by the UM Health Sparrow team at the Herbert-Herman Cancer Center in Lansing.
It wasn’t an easy journey.
“It sometimes would be hard because I don’t like getting my port in,” she said, gesturing to a small red mark on her chest. “See, there’s my scar.”
Mary Jane kept fighting, and now, she’s doing her part to give back to kids like her. The ‘Hair-A-Thon’ celebrated its 10th year of collecting hair donations on Saturday, and Mary Jane was welcomed back as a guest stylist.
“It was really fun,” she told News 10. “And I really like cutting peoples’ hair.”
Right by Mary Jane’s side is her grandmother, Linda Soliz, who’s watched her granddaughter go through the unimaginable and find a way to keep her bubbly and positive personality.
Soliz said it’s the second time Mary Jane has been a guest stylist at the ‘Hair-A-Thon.’”
“It gives her a feeling that she’s worth more,” she said. “She’s got more to give. It just makes her proud of herself too.”
With each donation made, people who gave up their locks get to bang a gong, letting everyone in the room know that another wig is on the way.
That gong rang out again and again on Saturday, reminding Pediatric Oncology Nurse Cindy Meteyer of the sacrifices the hair donors are making.
“We are aware that hair donations are a very personal gift, and that it literally takes years to grow your hair out long enough to donate,” she said. “So, we take that responsibility very seriously.”
After collecting an afternoon’s worth of hair donations, Meteyer said they’re passing them along to Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids Michigan and Children With Hair Loss, two Michigan-based organizations that will give out wigs to kids who need them at no cost to their families.
“It’s really good,” said Mary Jane. “And thank you for doing that for the kids who don’t have any hair. It’s very nice.”
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