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EDEN — Angie Redd, 38, has always liked to wear her hair long.

As a child of 3 or 4, Angie would stand in front of the mirror and brush it.

“She has always loved long hair,” her mother, Debbie, said.

Angie’s hair is coal black, and the children at school loved to run their hands through it.

Often, some of the girls would style it.

“She would come home with it braided and everything else,” Debbie said.

When Angie was 12, she saw a telethon for St. Jude’s showing young cancer patients who had lost their hair.

“She really got upset because they didn’t have any hair,” her mother said. 

Soon after that, Angie told someone at Draper Christian Church that she was praying for those children without any hair.

Somebody suggested that Angie get her mother to look into Locks of Love to see about contributing her hair to make wigs for people with cancer.

“I wanted to get my hair cut off for Locks of Love,” said Angie, who attended Reidsville High School.

Debbie researched the organization and learned that donated hair had to be 10 inches long and couldn’t be dyed.

At the time, Angie’s hair was at least 18 inches long and down to the middle of her back. The hairdresser took off 10 inches, to just below her ears.

Until then, Angie’s hair had only been trimmed. This was the most hair  taken off at one time.

Although she loved her new haircut, Angie was more excited about donating her hair, her mother said.

Jarrell, Angie’s father, likes to see his daughter’s hair long, but he thinks donating hair for children who have lost their hair is a great idea.

Her brother, Jarrell Jr., who lives in Ringgold, Va., agrees with his father.

When hair is cut for Locks of Love, it is put in a ponytail and the ponytail is cut off. The remaining hair is cut and styled.

Debbie downloaded the necessary form from the website and mailed off her daughter’s hair. In a couple of weeks, Angie received a card from Locks of Love, thanking her for her donation.

That made her even more excited.

Since then, Angie has let her hair grow until it is long enough to have 10 inches cut and then she sends another ponytail to Locks of Love.

Just three weeks ago, Susan Powell Smith, a family friend, did the honors and removed the ponytail. Now, Angie is anxiously awaiting her sixth thank-you.

Angie, who has Down syndrome, said donating her hair gives her a chance to share with others. 

“I went to Susan Powell’s shop, and she cut my hair. I feel great,” she said.  “When my hair gets long enough, I’ll probably do it again.”

It will take at least a year for Angie’s hair to grow enough to be cut again.

Until then, she will be anxiously checking it so she can send another ponytail so a child will have a pretty wig.

Reidsville native Ann Fish has lived in Eden since 1979. Contact her at annsomersfish@yahoo.com.