Locks Of Courage

Carlie Boler, 35, from Essex, couldn’t believe how people reacted to her brave boy’s decision…

- Rossie Crass Ans Harriet Rose - Gale

Pulling my son’s hair into a top knot, I was surprised he’d let it get this long.

‘It’s growing fast,’ I said to Tobi, now nine.

‘I want it longer than this, Mum,’ he explained.

Tobi started growing his hair after his great aunt Kath lost hers during cancer treatment.

Kath was my aunt, and Tobi loved seeing her every Sunday when we’d go out for a roast dinner together.

And after seeing Kath struggle, Tobi wanted to do something to help.

‘I’m going to grow my hair as long as I can,’ he announced one day, in 2015.

‘I want to donate it to make wigs for cancer patients.’

I was so proud, but I thought he might not stick with it.

But as time went on, Tobi wouldn’t let me touch his hair.

‘I can’t even give it a trim?’ I asked him one afternoon, as I watched him push his hair back from his eyes.

‘No Mum,’ he urged. ‘Not even a trim.’

He was determined to raise some money and decided to fundraise for The Little Princess Trust.

He’d done some fundraising before – organising a cake sale with his brothers Mylo, ten and Beau, five.

But this time he wanted to go that one step further.

And when his beloved great aunt Kath passed away, a year after her diagnosis – at 53 – he became even more determined.

As the months went on, it wasn’t long before Tobi’s hair could be swept into a lovely long ponytail.