Brighton boy grows hair for three years for cancer charity

Josh Engelhart from Portslade saw a television advert when he was six years old for a children’s cancer charity and learned how treatment for the disease often results in hair loss.

The Lewes Old Grammar School pupil, now nine, was so affected by the advert that he asked his mum Pippa if he could do something to help.

After some online research Pippa found the Little Princess Trust, a charity which makes wigs for children who are losing their hair, and Josh agreed he would grow out his hair to donate.

Three years on, Josh had long golden locks flowing down his back.

He recently took a trip to Toni and Guy hairdressers in Worthing and had 11 inches lopped off.

Josh said: “I saw how sad the children looked in hospital and wanted to do something about it.

Josh after his haircut

“I thought it must be horrible to lose all your hair and it must make you not feel normal anymore.

“I just wanted to help.”

Pippa said that Josh’s trip to the hairdressers had been an “emotional day”.

She said: “Josh saw the advert and thought how awful it must be to lose your hair along with all the other horrible things that some children are going through as they receive treatment.

“I found the Little Princess Trust and we set up a Just Giving page where Joshua managed to raise about £300 for the charity as well.

“When we called to book in with Toni and Guy, the manager there was so impressed with what Josh had done.”

Josh’s decision to grow and donate his hair has also impressed his school teachers.

His headteacher, Carrie Whyte, said: “We are so proud of Josh that he is thinking about other children and what they are going through.

“In these difficult times we are in, kindness means everything.”

It is not the first time the nine-year-old has demonstrated his thoughtfulness.

During lockdown, Josh became worried about his 87-year-old great grandma Jenny and the other elderly people who lived in her block of flats in Hove who were self-isolating.

He made up his mind to become pen pals to all ten of the elderly residents to try and cheer them up.

Josh said: “I was feeling really lonely not seeing my friends and I thought it must be even worse if you live alone like my great grandma. I feel like they liked my letters and wanted more. It was fun reading their replies and I felt like I’d made some new friends too.”