Determined boy donates hair to Locks of Love

WASILLA — Empathy for a classmate’s battle with cancer sparked 8-year-old Terren Shield to spend the past two years growing his hair out for the Locks of Love program.

He was 6 when he made a pact with his mom, two sisters and one of their friends to donate their hair to Locks of Love.

When his sisters Deeja and Zerin — now 11 and 10 respectively — donated their hair two years ago, mom Lisa Shield said Terren was sad his hair was too short to donate.

But the boy made a decision then to grow his hair out so he had the 10-inch minimum of hair to donate.

So Tuesday afternoon, after being mistaken for a girl off and on for the past two years, Terren, his mother and his sisters went to Ebony and Ivory Salon in Wasilla where stylist Adele Kuper did the honors.

Lisa said she and Terren talked when his hair began to get long and people began to mistake her son for a daughter. She said she told him then she would understand if he didn’t want to continue growing out his hair.

“It didn’t deter him,” his mother said.

Neither did the new routine of having his mom wash, blow dry and brush his hair.

“Those are all things he had to get used to,” Lisa said. “There were no tears, but it hasn’t been easy.”

Terren said he grew out his hair for other kids who have lost their hair and choose to wear a wig.

“I might do it again,” he said.

If he does, his mom Lisa said she already knows he doesn’t want her to explain to everyone they meet that his long hair isn’t because he’s rebelling or his mother doesn’t care.

“One day he pulled me aside and asked me to stop,” Lisa said. “He told me, ‘When you do something nice you shouldn’t have to tell people about it.’”

Now that only mom, whose hair grows slowly, is left to donate her hair from that original pact, Lisa said they wanted to share their story to inspire other people to donate to Locks of Love.

Clutching the fat blond ponytail of Terren’s hair, Lisa said she plans to mail it to Locks of Love along with Deeja and Zerin’s hair, which she’s been saving for this occasion.

“I think I may have more attachment to this hair than he does,” she said.

Terren sat patiently in Kuper’s chair while she combed his hair into sections and clipped his locks one ponytail at a time in order to donate as much of his lush mane as possible, the stylist said.

Kuper said she has had quiet a few clients donate their hair to the program over the years.

Before she’s finished with her scissors and clippers, Terren couldn’t resist feeling the back of his head and neither could his mother and sisters.

What does he think of his stylish new fauxhawk?

“It’s really, really light,” Terren said.

For more information about Locks of Love, visit locksoflove.org/.

Contact Heather A. Resz at heather.resz@frontiersman.com or 352-2268.