Middlesex boy donates his hair to Locks of Love
MIDDLESEX TWP — A fifth grader at Mars Centennial School cut his 2-foot-long hair Thursday to donate to Locks of Love.
Eleven-year-old Dustin Bauer of Middlesex Township started growing his hair almost four years ago after his mom donated her hair to Locks of Love.
“Since my mom did it, I thought, ‘Why not do it?’” Dustin said.
Locks of Love is an organization that uses donated hair to create hairpieces for children suffering from any medical diagnosis resulting in long-term hair loss, according to the nonprofit organization’s website.
Dustin began growing his hair because his mom told him he could help others.
“It’s such a nice thing to do,” Dustin said.
For the past three years and 10 months, Dustin has been growing his hair. The hardest part was the combing process, Dustin’s mother, Diane Bauer, said. He didn’t want to stand still long enough for anyone to comb through it, she said.
“I kept thinking about people that lost their hair to leukemia or some other disease,” Dustin said about what motivated him.
Although he was asked multiple times before if he wanted to cut his hair, Dustin put it off trying to see how long he could grow it.
“He did it on his own,” Diane said. “It was such a sweet thing to do, particularly for a boy.”
While he was excited to get his hair cut, he said his classmates probably won’t recognize him. He plans to donate his hair again in the future.
