Kind-hearted Harborough girl prepares to cut off her long locks to support dad's chemo journey

Jobe with loving daughters Paisley (left) and Effie.

A Harborough youngster is getting her long locks chopped off for the first time in support of her dad who is going through chemotherapy.

Ten-year-old Effie has pledged to cut off her hair later this month, to donate it to the Little Princess Trust which creates wigs for young chemotherapy patients.

The family has set up a Just Giving page to fundraise for Macmillan Cancer Support which has so far raised £7,300 – smashing their original target of £1,000.

Effie said: “When I found out my daddy had cancer, I decided I wanted to cut off my hair to support him. I am going to donate my hair to The Little Princess Trust and raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Please sponsor as much money as you can, because even a small amount can make a difference.”

Both girls are fundraising in support of their dad.

Effie’s eight-year-old sister Paisley is also arranging a bake sale to support their dad Jobe who has stage 4 colon cancer.

Their mum Hannah said: “We’re so proud of both of them. It’s a difficult period for both of them. It’s a big thing when you're a child and your dad is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.”

Thanks to their efforts, the family is in the top one per cent of fundraisers this month.

Hannah described Effie’s pledge as ‘a big deal’.

“She’s having a pixie cut which is amazing because she’s never had short hair – it’s always been long. It’s a big change, your hair is part of your identity. It’s one of the first things she wanted to do when we found out about Jobe.”

The 37-year-old was diagnosed with a rare condition called familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) which causes polyps in the intestine and increases the risk of colon cancer.

The family also wants to raise awareness of the condition, estimated to affect one in 8,000 people.

Effie’s mum Hannah said: “From our perspective as parents, we want this to raise awareness of FAP condition as it’s such a rare genetic condition he has. We didn’t know about it until he got diagnosed at the end of last year.

“We want to thank everyone who has donated. We’re absolutely blown away by everyone’s support.”

Visit www.justgiving.com/page/hannah-burrows-1744826483140 to donate to the family’s fundraiser.