Eight-year-old Lewis Wakenell-Stewart had never had a proper haircut, and his hair had grown down to beyond his shoulders.
Lewis Wakenell-Stewart (Image: Natalie Wakenell)
With the recent hot weather and an upcoming school trip, Lewis decided it was time for a haircut, but wanted to turn it into an act of kindness at the same time.
Caroline May, Lewis’ grandmother, told Your Local Guardian: “Lewis has never really had a proper haircut.
“He would only let myself or his mum trim the fringe, and he just let it grow.
“It’s been acting like a blanket for him.
“We spoke to him about getting a haircut, but he didn’t want one because he thought it wouldn’t grow back, and he’d go bald.
“But he decided to have it cut, because he’s going on a school trip where he’s away for a few days, and it means he’d have to ask the teacher to tie it up and pull it in a bun, which he didn’t want to do.”
After being reassured that his hair would grow back, Lewis agreed to have it cut during the May half term.
But a spontaneous thought turned into something bigger when he asked if his hair could be made into a wig for someone in need.
Caroline added: “We cancelled the original plan to get his hair cut during half term and instead arranged for Lewis to raise money for a charity.
“He wanted to get sponsors to support his haircut.
“It was mainly Lewis’ idea to donate his hair to make a wig, and the sponsorship came from that.”
While Lewis’s family has supported charity efforts like The Royal Marsden for years, this time the fundraising idea came directly from Lewis himself.
Lewis is donating to The Little Princess Trust, and the trim took place at N&J Barbers last Sunday (June 29).
Caroline said on the day of the haircut Lewis was nervous and asked if his grandfather – Caroline’s late husband – would be proud of him for doing this.
“He knew he was doing something good and his hair was going somewhere, so I think that helped calm him down,” she said.
Anyone can donate to Lewis’ fundraising on the JustGiving site.
As of July 3, Lewis has raised £843.
Caroline added: “He was so pleased to have it done.
“After he had it done, he said, ‘It doesn’t look like me anymore.’”
The May-Wakenell-Stewart family have always known Lewis with long hair, and Caroline said this was a huge thing for them.
Caroline said: “Lewis is a lovely and friendly person.
“He’s not argumentative at all, and he’s generally quiet and caring.
“It’s an amazing thing he’s done, and we’re all so proud of him.”
