Hair-raising success

Emma Watson didn't have much hair for the first two years of her life, but she's made up for lost time since.

Her hair is now as long as school ruler, and after five years of letting it grow, the seven-year-old Watson is getting most of it chopped off Saturday afternoon at Masich Place Stadium during the Relay for Life cancer walk.

She wants her hair to be made into a wig to help ease the suffering of somebody afflicted by cancer and give them some comfort when they lose own hair as a result of radiation treatments.

Not only that, but Emma will be bringing a yogurt container stuffed full of $700 worth of donations she's collected for the cause.

"I really wanted my bangs to grow long but I just kind of wanted to help others," said Emma, a Grade 2 student at Foothills elementary school.

"I have a friend named Brenn [Smith] who had leukemia. She's in remission and she still goes to Vancouver [for treatment] a little while longer."

Emma was also inspired to help her five-year-old friend Arwyn Fraser, who developed alopecia and lost her hair in November. Emma found out Arwyn's mother was growing her own hair to eventually have a wig made for her daughter and Emma volunteered to donate her own hair instead. As it turned out, Arwyn's hair started to grow back and she suggested Emma try to find another donor recipient.

"She didn't want it," said Emma. "She was like, 'Give it to someone who wants it.' She has a cool hat collection so she doesn't want a wig. Maybe some other little girl will want it."

Two months ago, knowing the Relay for Life was coming up, Emma started collecting money and asking relatives for donations and it's steadily grown. In addition to giving up her life savings, her new hairdo will leave her with just enough hair to cover her ears.

"She's going to lose about 12 or 14 inches of hair," said Shelby Watson, Emma's mother. "She was kind of bald until she was about two and it's been growing ever since."

Shelby says Emma is setting an unselfish example for her other siblings to follow.

"I'm quite surprised and want to encourage her to do it," Shelby said. "I want them to know that even if they are small that they can still do things to help people. You don't have to be an adult."

Several participants in the 24-hour Relay For Life will have their heads shaved starting at 4:30 p.m. Saturday to show their support for the Canadian Cancer Society's annual fundraiser.