AFTER four long years of growing out his luscious locks, eleven-year-old Jacob Randall has chopped it all off to raise money and awareness for the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation (CBCF).

With the fundraiser still open for donations, Jacob has raised a whopping $4,310 (at the time of writing).

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Jacob made the decision to fundraise in honour of family members and friends impacted by brain cancer.

The big chop took place on Monday 28 August at Wirreanda Public School in Medowie, where Jacob was surrounded by his supportive family and school friends.

Jacob and his family took time to thank Wirreanda Public School, hairdresser Vanessa Hobbs, who kindly donated her time to the cause, and everybody else who supported the fundraiser with donations and encouragement.

Not wanting to see his curls go to waste, Jacob sent them off to ‘Wigs For Kids’.

The hair will now be used to make one or more wigs for children who have lost hair to medical illness or cancer treatment.

Wigs for Kids is run by the Kids With Cancer Foundation in conjunction with Ella Wigmakers, based in Narara on the Central Coast.

One of the main reasons Jacob was inspired to fundraise was his cousin, Kieran, who was diagnosed with Tectal Glioma, a type of brain cancer, on 13 October 2014.

Only five days after this tragic diagnosis, thirteen-year-old Kieran had his first brain surgery to treat hydrocephalus caused by the tumour.

This was followed by six months of chemotherapy and 33 doses of radiation, more than 30 MRIs and eventually a craniotomy and a tumour resection in February 2019 to remove the growing cyst that was wrapped around his brain stem.

Kieran recently turned 22 and has outlived the two to five year prognosis he was given by doctors in late 2017.

Kieran credits “tumour humour” as what got him through this experience, and no doubt helped his family and friends get through as well.

Kieran has gone on to work on the radio and as a stand up comic, continuing to study at university and do charity work for the Brain Cancer Foundation and the Make a Wish Foundation.

Kieran and his family also established Walk4Brain Cancer Ipswich in 2018, an annual event which raises tens of thousands of dollars for CBCF.

Together with his sister Caitlin, nan Bronwyn, and mum Lauren, Jacob raised almost $3,500 through Walk4Brain Cancer in 2020 and 2021.

Cutting his hair was a new way for Jacob to continue his fundraising efforts.

“I really want to help find a cure for brain cancer because I don’t want anyone else to go through it like some of my family has,” Jacob said.

Jacob has another cousin, 35-year-old Matt, who has also battled with brain cancer for a number of years, so it was not a massive surprise to Jacob’s parents when he said he wanted to try to help with finding a cure.

Jacob was thrilled to have family friend Tracy come and show support on the day of the haircut, who is also a victim of brain cancer.

Jacob’s family are proud beyond words of this inspirational fundraising journey.

By Pat JENSEN