Zak is pictured at the Armoy Sheep Sale where he sold a ewe donated by his grandfather, Joe Dickson.Zak is pictured at the Armoy Sheep Sale where he sold a ewe donated by his grandfather, Joe Dickson.
Zak is pictured at the Armoy Sheep Sale where he sold a ewe donated by his grandfather, Joe Dickson.

CHARITY CHOP: Kind-hearted 11-year-old Zak donates his hair to cancer charity Marie Curie

A kind-hearted 11-year-old has raised a fantastic £2,300 for Marie Curie by growing his hair to make a wig for a child receiving chemotherapy treatment.

Zak Wilkinson, from Moneymore, wanted to do something to help raise funds for the charity and came up with the idea of donating his lovely blonde locks.

The generous young man donated a total of seven inches of hair, and while he loves his new cut, he is already making plans to grow it again!

His grandfather, Joe Dickson, also made a special donation, gifting Zak a ewe to sell at auction at Armoy Sheep Sale.

On the night, the young farmer put posters up around the pen, telling the story of his charity initiative.

Zak took the ewe into the ring and both he and his grandad were over the moon when it sold for £430 to A&T Clyde from Orchard Farm in Antrim.

The charity is very close to Zak’s heart after they provided care for his late nana Cherry.

The 11-year-old’s charity fundraising journey for Marie Curie wasn’t always an easy one.

He often received remarks and taunts when he went to school, with other children telling him he ‘looked like a girl’ or pulling on his hair.

But, this didn’t deter brave Zak.

He continued on his mission to grow his hair because he knew just how big a difference it would make to another child who was going through a very difficult time.

Friends and family from right across Northern Ireland, and further afield, very kindly made donations to Zak.

Initially, he had set himself a target of raising £100.

However, he quickly met that amount and the donations for the charity kept on rolling in!

Young Zak was extremely thankful to everyone who had made a generous donation and was very excited to present his cheque for £2,300 to Heather Miller from Marie Curie.

Mum, Sandra said the whole family is “very proud” of him and his fundraising efforts.

“He never gave up despite the fact it wasn’t an easy journey,” she commented.

“He received hurtful comments, but he knew it was going to be worth it in the end.

“When we set up the Just Giving page for donations, Zak thought raising £100 would be good, but it kept spiralling.

“Then he went to the sale with the ewe from his granda and the very kind farmer bid the sheep up.

“The charity is very close to the family’s heart,” Sandra added.

Well done Zak!

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.