August 9th 2023.
Young Stella Dance had a big appointment at the salon this summer, and came home with a lot less hair - 23 inches to be exact. The 11-year-old, who lives with her family in Kent, England, underwent a big sponsored chop for charity on July 15 - and her fundraising goal has already been surpassed by more than £500.
Mum Kaye, who shares Stella with husband Mark, 43, told The Agency that Stella had done a big chop like this once before, when she was just six years old. She explained that it all stemmed from an appointment at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where Stella saw other children dealing with cancer and alopecia.
"As a young child, she would question why these kids didn't have hair, and we explained it to her the best that we could. From that moment, she was adamant that she wanted to cut her hair and donate it," said Kaye.
Stella was born with a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), which causes tumours to grow on the nerves. Kaye said that Stella currently has a growth on her eye, a skull and eye socket deformity, and several tumours on her brain. However, she is a very happy child and these issues do not affect her significantly.
In 2018, Stella was granted a wish by the Rays of Sunshine charity after they heard about her condition and the charity chop she had done. Stella's wish was to go to Disney, to be a vet and to be a guide dog trainer. The charity granted two of her wishes - they took her to Maidstone Guide Dog Centre, where she got to spend time with trainers and dogs, and to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, where she was able to shadow a vet for the day.
After an amazing day, Stella was determined to regrow her hair and donate it to the Little Princess Trust, while raising funds separately for Rays of Sunshine. Stella's JustGiving page has already surpassed her fundraising goal of £1,000 by an impressive £516, and donations are still open.
When asked what her daughter thinks of going back to a short hairdo, Kaye said that Stella loves it and is looking forward to trying out different styles. She's already informed her family that she is planning to grow her hair again for a third time.
Stella's story is truly inspiring, and it's amazing to see how much difference her donations have made to both the Little Princess Trust and Rays of Sunshine.
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