A nine-year-old boy from Merthyr Tydfil has donated 12 inches (30cm) of his hair to a wig-making charity after recovering from leukaemia. Noah Moran-Wilshire was diagnosed with the disease in 2018 and completed treatment in 2021.
Noah decided to cut his long hair after seeing the positive effect a wig had on a friend from the oncology ward. His mother, Kiera Moran, said: 'Noah was very protective of his hair after losing it so I am very proud of him.'
Noah's symptoms first appeared as fatigue and leg pain when he was four years old. After tests, he was rushed to Noah's Ark Children's Hospital in Cardiff, where he underwent six months of intensive chemotherapy. During treatment, he chose not to wear a wig, finding them itchy.
When his hair grew back, he was reluctant to part with it. However, witnessing a friend's confidence boost from a wig inspired him to donate his own. He had his haircut at a local salon, where he enjoyed a head massage, hot chocolate, and marshmallows.
The Little Princess Trust, which received Noah's donation, says it costs around £700 to provide one wig. Noah hopes to raise enough to fund a wig for another child. Charity founder Wendy Tarplee-Morris praised Noah as 'brilliant and inspirational'.
