Kind-hearted Chorley teenage boy grows his hair out for the Little Princess Trust

A 17-year-old boy from Chorley has been growing his hair to an impressive length for the past two years, in the aim of helping young cancer patients.

Luke Copeland, a student at Runshaw College has been growing his hair since the pandemic, and last week finally underwent the chop, donating his new long locks to the Little Princess Trust.

The nationwide charity provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer, donating 2000 wigs last year..

Luke, who has now moved to Southport with his mum, said: “As my hair had grown a bit during lockdown, I decided to let it grow even longer, instead of getting it cut, to the minimum 12 inches and donate it to the Little Princess Trust as I had seen it on the internet.

"I grew my hair to help children worse off than myself, I figured its the least I can do."

His mother, Joanna Copeland, played hairdresser to Luke, and sent off his donation at the end of last week, receiving confirmation of it’s safe arrival on Monday.

Joanna said: “I am so proud of my son. I could burst to think he grew his hair to help a child have a real hair wig who is battling cancer, it’s such an amazing and selfless act of compassion.

"Once I found out that he was growing it for a purpose, I just burst into tears. His hair had grown anyway with the lockdown, and when I finally said ‘what are you going to do about your hair’ because I’d left it and not said anything, he went ‘mum I’m growing it actually for kids with cancer’, and it was like a complete turnaround in my attitude, I felt really bad, because I’d been nagging him for no reason.

"Then when he was growing it, I was encouraging him, getting him nice shampoos and stuff. So when it got to the 12 inches, he got it cut and sent off and it's just so nice isn’t it, plus his hair was in such a beautiful condition!”