Second-year pharmacy student Hannah Fox’s fundraising efforts for St. Baldrick’s Foundation culminated in $1,600 raised on March 17. Because Fox surpassed her goal of raising $1,000 for the charity, she shaved her head in support of children with cancer.
Diagnosed with the hair loss disorder alopecia areata at age 8, Fox has experienced insecurities about hair loss. When she went to St. Louis Children’s Hospital for treatment, she saw children who were bald because of cancer.
“As a kid, you don’t want to be bald,” Fox said. “I didn’t even know what cancer was. I just knew I didn’t want to be in the hospital and I didn’t want to be bald. It scared me.”
As she got older, Fox said that she grew to understand her situation. She said as a result, children dealing with similar insecurities were always on her heart. An opportunity came to act on behalf of cancer research when Fox discovered the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
What started as a bet between friends in 2000 has grown to a charity with close to 58,000 head-shaving participants and $38,966,189 donated to cancer research in 2014. Of the funds raised, 79.5 percent goes directly to childhood cancer research.
Fox began considering participating in January and asked family and friends, including Fox’s friend, second-year pharmacy student Kaitlyn Smith, for support.
“She texted me and said ‘what do you think about me shaving my head?'” Smith said. “Well, I thought that came out of left field. But then she said it was for childhood cancer research and I said ‘that really says a lot about you if you go through with it.’ I told her she had all of my respect and that she should just go for it.”
Fox said once her family and classmates understood the reason behind her shaving her head, they were all supportive and encouraging. She rewarded the classmate who donated the most money with the “first shave.” Now adjusting to the new look, Fox said she feels it is the best part of her campaign.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking being in public,” Fox said. “I think it’s the best part of the fundraiser because people really didn’t think I would do it. So now people ask and I get to tell more people why. Reaching my goal was pretty great, but this is the best part.”
Hannah Fox’s sister, junior Lisa Fox, said that seeing her sister follow through with the fundraising and head-shaving was an encouragement.
“She showed that if you feel passionate about something that you should do something about it,” Lisa Fox said. “Going to the length of shaving your head shows how selfless an act of following through can be.”
