12-yr-old boy donates hair to cancer patients

Bengaluru: With the world changing almost overnight due to Covid in December 2019, physical schools had shut in March 2020. Barber shops were shut too. 12-yr-old, Ruan, a 7th-grade student of Ekya School BTM Layout, Bengaluru took his first haircut during lockdown which was funky and styled in layers by none other than his mother at home.

Soon after, Ruan wanted to try something different. He wanted to sport long hair like his hero, Indian cricketer, M S Dhoni. His mother was comfortable with the idea and allowed him to have his way of nurturing and caring his hair for day after day and week after week. He started growing his hair from March 2020.

As the results started showing, Ruan was introduced to the world of cancer patients in need of hair donations by his mother. His mother asked him to consider donating for a noble cause at the end of his journey. His mother, Ar. Roopa Roy channelized donations of refurbished woodwork to various under-privileged organisations through her work. Following her footsteps came naturally to him in his own way.

Ruan's hair was 15 inches long when he donated his hair to Hair Crown, Tamil Nadu, an organisation which collects donated hair to help cancer patients. Speaking on the donation, he said, "I feel humbled to be able to contribute to a noble cause. I'm excited, it feels great! For girls probably it is easier to do this, but as a boy, I've had to answer a lot of questions. My mother has faced trolls of being too lenient or spoiling me with such freedom or style precedents at such a young age. She has faced them with panache every single time! I urge you to do something that makes a difference to the world, to mankind. To be kind enough, quietly, strong enough mentally to make that difference count."

Cancer patients lose hair during the radiation therapy process which takes a long while to grow back only after the treatment is complete. Hair donation facilitates making wigs for such people helping them look and feel more normal and acceptable in our judgemental society. It boosts their self-esteem. However, donating hair is not as simple as it sounds.