Breaffy schoolteacher Nuala Bourke has attracted plenty of compliments over the years for her long locks of natural, richly coloured, red hair.
But that did not stop the 28-year-old from taking the brave decision to crop it off recently when she heard about a charity in need.
The idea came about when Ms Bourke, who has been teaching in a primary school in Dublin for the past eight years, admired her friend’s new haircut just over a year ago.
Her friend told her she had donated her hair to the Rapunzel Foundation, a charity that makes wigs for cancer patients and children with alopecia.
Taking in Nuala’s warm red hue, her friend further advised that the charity was experiencing a particular shortage of natural red hair.
“Children with this colouring are less likely to be facilitated,” explained Ms Bourke. “At this stage I was hooked, and there and then I decided I would grow my hair and donate.”
People can donate between 12 and 14 inches of hair and when Ms Bourke’s own hair was long enough, she went along to her local salon, Image, in Bluebell, Dublin 10.
“Lyane, the stylist couldn’t have been more helpful,” said Ms Bourke.
“All the registered salons provide the service free of charge. The entire process took almost two hours and I’m delighted I took part,” she added.
The reaction to Nuala’s charitable act and to her new shorter hair look has been “overwhelmingly positive”.
“Once I posted a couple of pictures on social media, people were so supportive and complimentary.
“What has been brilliant though is the reaction from the children and parents at school [Scoil Mhurie gan Smal, Inchicore, Dublin 8].
“The children in my class have been so excited since I first mentioned the charity in September. Each month they measured my hair and it has become a regular part of our maths lesson. When I arrived in on Monday after having it cut words such as ‘short’, ‘wow’ and ‘nice’ were used to describe the change,” she said.
“I’m delighted to have raised the profile of the charity in the area. Already, a past pupil of mine has donated her ponytail, and other girls in the school have pledged to do the same.”
Ms Bourke has been teaching in Dublin since graduating from St Patrick’s in Drumcondra eight years ago but having just completed a master’s in teaching, she is hoping to make the move back west in the near future.
“Mayo is such a vibrant county, and with an increasing population and new schools opening, I plan to grasp any opportunity that presents itself. As for growing another ponytail for charity, how could I not,” she added.
For further information on the Rapunzel Foundation, to make a donation or to locate a registered salon in your area, contact rapunzelfoundation.com
