Gosport schoolgirl Braves the Shave for Macmillan Cancer Support

Brave 11-year-old Fiorella Caraccio from Gosport had all of her hair removed as part of Macmillan Cancer Support’s Brave the Shave appeal – an initiative where people shave off their hair to raise money for the charity.

St John’s Church of England Primary School pupil Fiorella said: ‘My sister’s grandfather and friend have had cancer recently. The medicine they got caused them to lose their hair and so I wanted to show my support for them. My school has a policy which doesn’t allow severe haircuts and so I wrote a letter to my headteacher explaining what I wanted to do. He wrote a letter back, not only saying he was very proud of my actions but that he wanted to actually do the shave.’

Fiorella, whose hair was previously down to her shoulders, has raised a total of £620 from her selfless act. Headteacher Lyndon Strong carried out the shave in front of Fiorella’s classmates and accompanying Year 3 class.

‘My original goal was to raise £300. In the end I raised £320 through the Brave the Shave sponsorship web page and an additional £300 from friends and family,’ she explained.

Mum, Donna Adamson, was proud of her daughter’s generous act.

‘I’m so proud of what Fiorella has done. It is such a worthwhile cause as cancer affects everyone at some stage of their life. It is really important to instil in children the value of thinking about the welfare of others,’ said Donna.

Despite the unseasonably chilly weather, Fiorella has no regrets about opting for the number one crop.

‘It’s certainly a lot colder without any hair. I was really nervous when I arrived into school on the morning but I am really pleased I have done it. All my friends have been asking for photographs since it was shaved off,’ she explained.