Fifth Grader Pays Tribute To A Loved One

With A Special Cut Of Her Long Locks

By Susan Coney

Recently 10-year-old Kristen Campbell donated more than 14 inches of her hair to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides hair prosthetics for disadvantaged children under the age of 18 who suffer from medical hair loss.

Kristen first learned of the Locks of Love program in 2001. In that year her aunt, Sherry O’Marra, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Kristen began growing her hair at that time with the intention of donating it to the organization. She did this  because of the personal connection she felt after seeing the side effects cancer treatments began to have on her aunt.

On January 4, the one year anniversary of Ms O’Marra’s death, Kristen had her hair cut in loving memory of her Aunt Sherry, who was an upper level teacher at The Fraser-Woods School in Newtown. Teri LaRocque, a teacher who worked with Ms O’Marra said, “Sherry was a well-loved member of our school. She always had a smile on her face.”

Kristen’s father, Robert Campbell said, “Once my sister lost her hair from the cancer treatments, Kristen wanted to do something to help. That’s when she started to grow her hair long.” Mr Campbell continued, “My sister was a wonderful teacher. We grew up in Newtown, she lived in Bethel and taught for years in Newtown.”

In a school essay that Kristen wrote shortly after her aunt’s death she stated, “My Aunt Sherry helped me feel happy when I was sad and gave me lots of hugs. She was kind to everybody including her own kids, her class, even people she didn’t know. Aunt Sherry was always there when we needed her. She would be the first one to be on the floor playing with my cousins and I.”

Mr Campbell said that reading his daughters tribute to her aunt brought tears to his eyes. He stated, “As a little girl she made a lot of our family happy with her donation. We were all very touched and proud of her.”

Kristen said that she was glad she made the donation in the memory of her aunt, but that it took a little getting use to having shorter hair. Kristen is a fifth grader in Petrice DiVanno’s class at Reed Intermediate School.