Initiative gives children renewed joy

Free wigs made from donated hair help patients overcome hair loss from radiotherapy sessions

In December, 4-year-old Liu Lizi, who lost most of her hair loss due to radiotherapy treatment for cancer, received a wig made of real hair.

Two years ago, the girl was diagnosed with blastoma. In addition to the pain of her illness, Liu was often teased by other children for being bald head.

Now, thanks to the Black Ribbon Initiative, a public welfare program, the little girl once again has a full head of beautiful black hair.

"Lizi used to be very upset about her hair. Now, she wears the wig everywhere she goes and dances with joy," said her grandmother, Cui Zhanying.

So far, the girl has received 30 rounds of radiotherapy at the Chongqing University Cancer Hospital.

The initiative started in April last year and seeks out volunteers nationwide to donate hair to make free wigs for child cancer patients. So far, it has made wigs for 17 girls, including Liu. The program was jointly initiated by the hospital, the Chongqing Medicinal Biotech Association and Fazhiyuan Hair Products (Chongqing).

As of Feb 28, it has received 2,059 donations of hair from 32 provinces and autonomous regions, according to the initiative's volunteer service team.

Similar initiatives exist elsewhere in the country, such as the Tsingsi Hair Donation Organization, set up by the Shanghai International Studies University in 2015, and Gold Ribbon, set up by the Guangzhou Gold-Ribbon Special Children Parents Center in 2016.

The Black Ribbon Initiative is the first of its kind in Southwest China.

"Since she got her wig, Lizi is in a good mood and has become a bit of a social butterfly at the hospital," said Li Xiaoyu, a doctor at the hospital's radiotherapy center, who added that the little girl has made a good recovery. "It is really a good initiative."

Li added that many years ago, another 4-year-old girl, hospitalized with a brain tumor, cried her heart out when she lost her hair after a series of treatments and asked her mother to buy her a Barbie doll, just so that she could have some hair to comb every day.

"A wig can really help rebuild a young patient's confidence," Li continued. "Little girls are beauty-conscious and have no concept of diseases or tumors, but when they start to look different from their peers as they lose their hair, they develop psychological traumas."