A boy aged three has had his first ever haircut so his two-foot-long locks can be made into a wig for children with cancer.
Little Elijah Edney has raised more than £1,000 in sponsorship to pay for the wig to be made.
His mother, Amber Edney, 27, let Elijah grow his hair how he liked - but it got so long people started to mistake him for a girl.
Mrs Edney had washed and dried his hair daily, spent hundreds of pounds on shampoo and conditioner, and dedicated hours to brushing it.
But his new ear-length cut, with smart centre-parting, should be much easier to maintain.
The football-mad youngster today looked relaxed as he sat on booster seats in the barber's chair at M Cutting in Portsmouth, Hants.
Hairdresser Mike Walters, 79, tied Elijah's hair into a ponytail before snipping it off at the start of the 30-minute cut.
Admiring his new hairdo, which he had carefully watched take shape in the mirror, Elijah said: 'I love it!'
Mrs Edney, a dinner lady, was also thrilled with the result. She said: 'You wouldn't have thought it was his first hair cut - he's been so calm and I think he's enjoyed it.
'I'm so pleased that he's been smiling and laughing throughout. I was worried that he wouldn't like it. I'm so happy with the result, he looks very smart and I'm over the moon that he loves his new look too.'
Elijah's shorn hair will go to the Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for children with cancer and other hair-loss illnesses.
His mother added: 'I can't believe the response we have had from friends, family, and members of the public - it's been fantastic.
'The initial target was to raise £350 so that a wig could be made with his hair. Now that we've raised over £1,000 hopefully the Little Princess Trust can make more than one wig.
''It's going to such a great cause and I'm sure that the wig will change a young person's life.
'I couldn't bear to see all Elijah's beautiful hair go to waste and my mum mentioned about charities that use human hair to make into wigs.
'Elijah keeps telling people he is giving his hair to poorly princesses and he was so excited to get it done.'
Before the cut, Mrs Edney showed the barber a picture of her other son Beau, six, who has the hairstyle Elijah wanted.
She added: 'He was so excited this morning and couldn't wait to have his hair cut. He looks up to his brother.'
Elijah's bravery and charity spirit has been rewarded with two pet turtles and a haul of Easter eggs.
Mrs Edney said: "''ve bought him two pet turtles as a surprise reward for his bravery and what he has done for charity. I'm sure he'll love them. His Gran has also bought him four eggs.'
She plans to keep Elijah's hair short in the future.
She said: 'I'll still wash it every day and maintain like just like I used to. As we both love the new style I'm sure that we'll continue to get it cut to keep it this way.'
A spokesman for the Little Princess Trust said: 'We're very grateful to anyone who decides to have their hair cut to donate it to the Little Princess Trust.
'As a result of hair donations such as this, the charity receives a large number of real-hair wigs free of charge to pass on to families whose children have sadly lost their own hair through cancer treatment.
Little Elijah Edney has raised more than £1,000 in sponsorship to pay for the wig to be made.
His mother, Amber Edney, 27, let Elijah grow his hair how he liked - but it got so long people started to mistake him for a girl.
Mrs Edney had washed and dried his hair daily, spent hundreds of pounds on shampoo and conditioner, and dedicated hours to brushing it.
But his new ear-length cut, with smart centre-parting, should be much easier to maintain.
The football-mad youngster today looked relaxed as he sat on booster seats in the barber's chair at M Cutting in Portsmouth, Hants.
Hairdresser Mike Walters, 79, tied Elijah's hair into a ponytail before snipping it off at the start of the 30-minute cut.
Admiring his new hairdo, which he had carefully watched take shape in the mirror, Elijah said: 'I love it!'
Mrs Edney, a dinner lady, was also thrilled with the result. She said: 'You wouldn't have thought it was his first hair cut - he's been so calm and I think he's enjoyed it.
'I'm so pleased that he's been smiling and laughing throughout. I was worried that he wouldn't like it. I'm so happy with the result, he looks very smart and I'm over the moon that he loves his new look too.'
Elijah's shorn hair will go to the Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for children with cancer and other hair-loss illnesses.
His mother added: 'I can't believe the response we have had from friends, family, and members of the public - it's been fantastic.
'The initial target was to raise £350 so that a wig could be made with his hair. Now that we've raised over £1,000 hopefully the Little Princess Trust can make more than one wig.
''It's going to such a great cause and I'm sure that the wig will change a young person's life.
'I couldn't bear to see all Elijah's beautiful hair go to waste and my mum mentioned about charities that use human hair to make into wigs.
'Elijah keeps telling people he is giving his hair to poorly princesses and he was so excited to get it done.'
Before the cut, Mrs Edney showed the barber a picture of her other son Beau, six, who has the hairstyle Elijah wanted.
She added: 'He was so excited this morning and couldn't wait to have his hair cut. He looks up to his brother.'
Elijah's bravery and charity spirit has been rewarded with two pet turtles and a haul of Easter eggs.
Mrs Edney said: "''ve bought him two pet turtles as a surprise reward for his bravery and what he has done for charity. I'm sure he'll love them. His Gran has also bought him four eggs.'
She plans to keep Elijah's hair short in the future.
She said: 'I'll still wash it every day and maintain like just like I used to. As we both love the new style I'm sure that we'll continue to get it cut to keep it this way.'
A spokesman for the Little Princess Trust said: 'We're very grateful to anyone who decides to have their hair cut to donate it to the Little Princess Trust.
'As a result of hair donations such as this, the charity receives a large number of real-hair wigs free of charge to pass on to families whose children have sadly lost their own hair through cancer treatment.
Source: DailyMail
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