Every few months I hear a story from a friend or family member about how they cut their hair and donated it to
"Locks of Love", I have never checked out the website before so,
after hearing of a family friend that I grew up with (who has had long hair as long as I can remember) who cut it off
after his wedding, I went to see for myself exactly what it is all about. Wow, is all I can come up with. The
page is filled with smiles. Imagine how beautiful these people feel, and are. Surviving chemotherapy is a huge deal,
and they deserve the best. Thanks to all who donate, and thanks to my buddy.
Note: The contents of this blog are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or substitute for professional care. For medical emergencies, dial 911!
Locks of love
Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. I am very interested in where hair can be donated for cancer patients who have lost hair due to chemo therapy. If anyone has that info please let me know. Thanks Steve
Posted at 9:07AM on Jan 31st 2006 by Steve DeLugach
3. Thompson's log is misleading. A quote from the locksoflove.org website: "Hair that is short, gray, or unsuitable for children will be separated from the ponytails and sold at fair market value to offset the cost of manufacturing." Locks of Love sets its price for the wig on a sliding scale based on family income/outgo. If a family cannot afford any price, the wig is given free of charge. In addition, Charity Navigator(.org) rates Locks of Love 68.11 out of a possible 70 points and their highest four-star rating. I recently mailed Locks of Love a 15 inch braid I was tired of dealing with every morning!
Posted at 6:37PM on Feb 1st 2006 by Peg Karelitz
4. In answer to above, the Better Business Bureau "Wise Giving Alliance" has found that LOL did not meet one of their criteria. LOL did not provide an audited financial statement, when requested. That is a basic and important requirement which LOL has failed to meet over a number of years. As for what happens to hair donations, a little math can shed some light on the issue. Some media accounts have stated that LOL receives over 1000 donations a week. That's over 50,000 donations a year. Yet, in their entire 7 year existence, LOL has produced just over 1000 wigs TOTAL! Even if one accepts their contention that one wig can use up to 10 donations, that leaves literally hundreds of thousands of donations unaccounted for.
Posted at 9:10PM on Feb 3rd 2006 by Anthony Thompson
1. Everyone should be aware that Locks of Love does NOT donate wigs to cancer patients; rather, the organization was formed to provide wigs for Alopecia patients (a non-cancerous, non-life-threatening disease). Further, LOL uses only a small percentage of the hair donations for the manufacture of wigs; most of the hair is sold.
Posted at 11:40AM on Jan 17th 2006 by Anthony Thompson