Childhood cancer can be devastating for so many reasons, but one of the biggest is that between all of the appointments, chemo sessions and side effects, there isn’t always time to just be a kid. One group is hoping to change that, one Disney Princess wig at a time.
Losing hair can be especially tough for a kid fighting cancer. The shock of having your hair come out is often compounded by the sensitive scalp it leaves behind: The nerves on a child’s sensitive skin can feel completely raw. For some, that means they won’t be able to wear traditional wigs if they want to reclaim some semblance of normalcy.
That’s where The Magic Yarn Project — a volunteer effort based in Palmer, Alaska, that makes gorgeous, soft wigs modeled after the lovely locks of kids’ favorite Disney Princesses — comes in.
More:SpongeBob helps kid with autism save his friend’s life
The genius project was dreamed up by an oncology nurse and mother, Holly Christensen, who holds workshops along with her friend Bree Hitchcock to teach others how to crochet soft baby yarn beanies and whimsical wigs so that they can get them out to as many kids fighting cancer as possible. Through their GoFundMe effort, which is rapidly nearing its goal, and through The Magic Yarn Project’s Facebook page, the pair, who rely entirely on donations and volunteers, are hoping to get the word out to as many people as possible.
Take a look at some of the wigs that have come out of the pair’s all-volunteer effort to get wigs to kids totally free of charge:
More:When you live with breast cancer, there is no pink fatigue
What seems like such a simple gesture — make a few wigs for kids while they undergo chemo — is in reality so much bigger. Most kids will, at some point, enjoy the magical escape of playing dress-up, especially if they happen to have a particular princess fixation, something so many parents are already familiar with. But for kids battling cancer, the moments that so many of us take for granted can be few and far between.
These wigs offer a chance to step out of a nightmare and into a fairy tale, and that’s what they really offer: an escape. And you can help facilitate that.
More: The best bedtime for kids, revealed
Besides donating money to The Magic Yarn Project’s GoFundMe, if you’re local you can also get in on the action by attending an upcoming workshop, or you can donate supplies like baby yarn and beanies to the group. In The Magic Yarn Project’s own words:
What better way to comfortably cover a little girl’s head and help her feel like a “princess” again than with a beautiful, handmade yarn wig built on a soft crocheted beanie? This is Magic Yarn’s mission: to create these beautiful wigs for little cancer patients nationwide with the help of volunteers such as yourself! From donations for supplies to time devoted to putting these wigs together, there are multiple ways you can help bring magic into the lives of these young and brave cancer patients with a Magic Yarn wig. Join us!
Leave a Comment