A HELENSBURGH teen has been applauded for her selfless contribution after donating her hair to a children’s cancer charity.

Ellie Wilson is an S3 pupil at Hermitage Academy, playing the French horn for the NYOS Junior Orchestra and the WSSO Concert Band.

As well as her musical and charitable talents, she holds a First Dan Blackbelt in Taekwon-Do after being a student of Steven McLaren Martial Arts since she was seven years old.

And 14-year-old Ellie, who has had long locks her whole life, gave 20 inches of her own hair to the Little Princess Trust – a charity that supplies and funds high quality wigs of real hair to give to children who have hair loss as a result of cancer treatment or other illnesses.

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The cut was carried out at Division in Sinclair Street on Saturday by Julie Ritchie.

Ellie’s mum, Tracey Wilson, commenting on her daughter’s gesture, said: “We are extremely proud of Ellie – she is a kind and thoughtful person, and we were not surprised when she decided to make her haircut mean something other than a new style.

“If anyone has long hair and are looking to make a big change, please consider donating your hair to the Little Princess Trust.

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“It can make all the difference to a young person suffering from hair loss due to illness or cancer treatment.”

Wendy Tarplee-Morris, co-founder of The Little Princess Trust, added: “The donation we received from Ellie will make a real difference to a young person at a very difficult moment in their life.

“We currently have a big demand for longer wigs and so the 20-inch hair donation from Ellie is exactly what we need as we encourage all our supporters to go on growing before the big cut.

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“Sadly, we see just how much losing your hair can affect a child which is why we are so proud of all our supporters who, like Ellie, cut their own hair in order to help someone else.”

Mrs Tarplee-Morris encourages anyone else thinking of donating their hair to try to grow past the 16-inch mark, and added that a sponsored cut helps the charity find the £550 it costs to make, fit and style the wig for a poorly young child.

Monetary donations can also be made to Little Princess Trust via their website at littleprincess.org.uk, with all donations used to fund vital research into childhood cancers.

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