Islington Council worker donates her hair to charity

A kind-hearted woman shaved her head and donated the locks to children who have lost their hair due cancer treatment.

Janice Quinlan, of Baring Street, Islington, cut her curls to a number four all over and then gave her seven inch ponytail to the Little Princess Trust – a charity backed by pop star Jessie J who make wigs for children suffering hair loss.

In addition, the newly skin-headed children’s services worker raised almost £600 for other charities through sponsorship.

She said: “I had been growing my hair for a while and thought I wanted to do something.

“I am not much of a runner or one for pushing myself out of a plane so I thought I would cut off my ponytail.”

Ms Quinlan will split the sponsorship money between Cancer Research and the Alzheimer’s Society.

She said; “My mother has Alzheimer’s disease and many people close to me have battled cancer, including my sister who suffered from breast cancer and my best friend who died after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.”

On Saturday, at 5.15pm, she sat down in the chair at Montage Hair Dressers on Essex Road, Islington, with a glass of fizz to calm her nerves before she was ready to have the chop.

“It was all over in about eight minutes,” she said.

“I was really nervous beforehand but so pleased once it was over.

“There was a colour in my hair before so now I’ve gone short and grey.

“I’d like to thank everyone who sponsored me.”

Filiz Osman, Ms Quinlan’s boss at Islington Council children’s services, said: “We are really proud of her but we thought she was mad and brave at the same time.”