Nine-year-old Taite Marcoux is quite the giver.
His gift is his hair.
Last week the Huband Park Elementary School student paid a visit to Cortney Donaldson at Scorpio’s 1983 Hair Design for a haircut – his first in more than 18 months.
He has a good reason for avoiding the scissors.
Taite’s hair doesn’t simply get swept up and tossed, like the majority of discarded locks at a hair salon.
Taite’s is used to make wigs for cancer patients.
“I have to grow it for a long time so that it is long enough to be used,” he said.
The required length is 10 inches.
“This is the second time I did it.”
Taite also did it when his family lived in Manitoba.
Cousin started trend
He got the idea from his cousin, Zoe, who lives in Quebec.
“She did it, and I liked the idea, so I wanted to do it, too,” he said.
It’s one thing for a 10-year-old girl to grow her hair long. For a nine-year-old boy it’s something quite different.
Taite said it hasn’t been without its share of heckling from some of his schoolmates.
“I have to get used to it sometimes, because sometimes they bug me about my long hair and call me a girl, but some of them are supportive,” he said. “They already know why I grow it long, but they just like pestering me, for fun.”
He said that the teasing doesn’t bother him enough to quit doing it.
“I just like helping,” he said. “I will do it again, but I am waiting one year.”
Taite has a website dedicated to the fundraising cause. He said the first time he did it, he raised $500 and he’s hoping to raise more this time.
“I think we already are at $500, so it can just keep growing.”
He also said that maybe by letting people know his story, others will donate their hair as well.
“My mom had an idea to put up signs at most of the hair places, for people who grow their hair long, so that when they go to get it cut off, maybe next time they can donate it for the same thing,” he said. “It all helps.”
Anyone wishing to donate on Taite’s behalf may do so at bit.ly/1szFhnp
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