chop my locks for alopecia Saturday may 27 i chop my locks for alopecia I will be cutting off 14 inches of my hair at Mon Amie Salon, to be given to Reality Hair from AB (and sent to New Zealand) to be made into a wig!

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted! My goal here is first and foremost to raise awareness to this condition. Second, to raise funds to donate to Canadian Alopecia Areata Foundation (CANAAF). CANAAF was established in 2009 and is fully run by volunteers. They provide support, build awareness, provide education, and help to raise funds for research. And last, but not least, I will be cutting off 14 inches of my hair, to be given to Reality Hair from AB (and sent to New Zealand), in Vancouver, to be made into a wig! No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted! How to donate 1 ~ go directly to their website: www.canaaf.org (please send me a screen shot so I can keep a tallied total) https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/canadian- alopecia-areata-foundation/#donate_now 2 ~ Send me an E-transfer to locksforalopecia@gmail.com (with full name and address) A donation of $15 or more is eligible for a tax receipt Interested in also donating hair? Get in touch with Sandra from Reality Hair! www.realityhair.ca

Donating hair www.freedomwigs.com Some words from a mother, who’s son has lived with alopecia most of his life Erik was diagnosed at 2 with alopecia areata. When he was little, steroid cream was applied on the small bald areas and the hair regrew. We were able to use this treatment until his late teens when he lost all of his hair on his body. Hair loss is devastating to a child's emotional health and self- esteem. Children who are battling hair loss due to alopecia, have a difficult time adjusting to life without hair. As a parent you want to help build their self-confidence as you do not want to see your child be ridiculed or bullied due to their baldness or thinning hair. I wished I could’ve switched places with him just to take the pain away as chunks of his hair were just falling out. Watching Erik go through something so emotional struggling at such a vulnerable age in his late teens, wondering who would still like him, would he meet girls that would not look past his baldness was hard because as a parent you want to take away your children’s pain. The heart ache of watching your child tell people he had cancer because it was easier than explaining to people that he had alopecia and that it is an auto immune disease with no cure. I took Erik to a natural path, specialists, researched on the internet and found that most treatments are fruitless and painful. Those that have had temporary success with through multiple needle injections at VGH, hurt and inflamed his eyebrow area where he no longer wanted the injections due to the swelling and slight bleeding and he could not wear his football helmet without pain. Well he was not giving up football. Erik wears his ball caps when out in public as he does still get stares. He has grown up around a loving family, and has a great group of friends and a wonderful girlfriend who see past the baldness. He misses the eyelashes and nose hairs the most as there is no protection for dirt/sweat etc. entering these areas. A Few Basic Facts About Alopecia: It is an unpredictable auto-immune disease. It is often cyclical and some will respond to treatment, while others may not. 1-2% of the population is affected. There are 3 Types: 1, Alopecia Areata (AA)- the most common type: 2. Alopecia Totalis- loss of all hair on the scalp 3. Alopecia Universalis- loss of complete body and scalp hair Alopecia often begins in childhood; however, ALL ages can be impacted. It may also be present with other autoimmune diseases. The cost of a natural hair wig can range from $1300-$2200 with Virgin European hair wigs starting at $2500 and going well above. Needless to say, natural hair wigs are very expensive! There are many other reasons for hair loss occur: Cancer treatment, Thyroid Diseases, Hormone Changes (pregnancy, menopause, other), medication side effects, aging, environmental (chlorine, metals, UV exposure & minerals), and some medications. How to donate 1 ~ go directly to their website: www.canaaf.org (please send me a screen shot so I can keep a tallied total) https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/canadian- alopecia-areata-foundation/#donate_now 2 ~ Send me an E-transfer to locksforalopecia@gmail.com (with full name and address) A donation of $15 or more is eligible for a tax receipt Reality Hair Western Canada Agent for Freedom Hair of New Zealand www.realityhair.ca Freedom Hair – Donating hair www.freedomwigs.com Interested in also donating hair? Get in touch with Sandra from Reality Hair! www.realityhair.ca