Teenage girl donates tresses for cancer wig

13-year-old says donating hair a great way to ease suffering of women with cancer.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
LIRON POLLACK donates hair haircut 390 (photo credit: Courtesy Kaplan Medical Center)
LIRON POLLACK donates hair haircut 390
(photo credit: Courtesy Kaplan Medical Center)
Thirteen-year-old Liron Pollack decided this week that getting her long hair cut short would not only complete a “perfect Purim costume” as a funky teenager with a spiky hairdo, but also ease the suffering of women with cancer.
The girl from the Pelech modern Orthodox girls’ school in Kiryat Ekron, who is involved in the Bnei Akiva youth movement, went to Kaplan Medical Center to donate her tresses. For the past two years, the Rehovot hospital has had hairdresser Eli Ben Zikri (a former cancer patient) and Yigal Gott give free haircuts to women and girls (and even long-haired boys) who wanted to donate so that wigs could be made.
The oncology department’s hair salon donates the wigs to women and girls undergoing chemotherapy who had lost their hair.
Hospital director-general Dr. Ya’acov Yahav said that the hairdressing team volunteers to cut the donated hair and make the wigs.
Pollack decided to tour the hospital before Purim.
“I went to the oncology department and saw Eli Ben Zikri making a wig for a woman who became bold. Suddenly, with the wig, she looked radiant,” she said. Now, she needs only gel to create the spikes she needs for her Purim costume.
The teen called on other girls to join her and volunteer for a haircut. Her mother Sarit was very proud, as Pollack has had long hair for so long that she is known for it.
“Her friends couldn’t believe she had it cut short, but apparently this was very important to her!”