Sacrificing hair to rebuild hope

A volunteer donates her hair to JBVS – The Preserver Seva Samithi, during a special drive held in Kadapa.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

‘Short sacrifice, big hope!’ is the caption that has gained prominence in Kadapa this week.

Jai Bhavani Veera Sivaji (JBVS) – The Preserver Seva Samithi has launched a novel initiative that offers hope to cancer patients.

With the help of ‘Hair for Hope India’, JBVS has organised a hair donation and cancer awareness programme at Sri Vivekananda Women’s Degree College, Kadapa.

Hair which is at least 30cm long is collected from donors to make wigs for chemotherapy patients who suffer hair loss and cannot afford to buy expensive wigs.

While explaining the steps to prevent cancer, Dr. Tejaswini, a medical professional and the chief guest of the event, called upon people to donate hair for the noble cause.

“Cancer survivors who are undergoing chemotherapy will be disappointed to lose their hair. They also lose hope of regaining their hair in the near future and thus suffer from depression. With this hair donation program, we get a chance to provide hope for them,” she said.

One such donor is B. Siri Chandana, a native of Anantapur district and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) student at Dr. YSR Architecture and Fine Arts University, Kadapa.

Speaking to The Hindu, she recalled the extreme suffering her grandmother went through before dying from cancer in November last year and how it inspired her to join the movement.

“I have seen my grandmother suffer not only from blood cancer but also extensive hair loss. It was then that I decided that nobody should face such a situation,” she says.

College correspondent D.S.R. Manohar Reddy congratulated JBVS on conducting the program with the noble intention of helping cancer patients.

JBVS founder-president M. Ashok, studying B.Sc. Mathematics at Government Arts College for Men, Kadapa, congratulated the students for enthusiastically participating in the event and appealed for more donors to join the initiative.