A TEENAGE girl has braved scissors and shaver to have her long locks cut off in support of her brother who is currently undergoing cancer treatment.

Grace Channing, 16, took the bold step to be in solidarity with her brother Frank, 14, who has been losing his hair as a result of chemotherapy treatment for a cancer of the white blood cells. Her locks were shaved off at Station Cuts in Halwill Junction, down the road from her home in Halwill.

Grace’s hair is being donated to charity the Little Princess Trust which makes wigs for children who’ve lost their hair due to cancer treatment and other medical conditions. She has also been sponsored by friends and family, raising more than £5,000 for the charity CLIC Sargent which supports families whose children have cancer.

Grace said: ‘In February my brother was rushed into Bristol Children’s Hospital where they found he had a massive tumour on his chest. He was diagnosed with lymphoblastic lymphoma and started chemotherapy. As his treatment has progressed his much-loved hair has started to fall out and soon he will have lost it all. I decided to join him by shaving all my hair off to raise money for one of the amazing charities that is supporting him and our family and many other families in the same situation.’

She set out to raise £3,000 for CLIC Sargent but exceeded that in just 24 hours on her JustGiving page.

‘I am just so over the moon that all of these kind donations are going to such an amazing charity,’ she said. I really can’t thank everyone enough, it means so much to us.’

Grace and Frank’s mum Pennie Channing, a local police sergent, said: ‘I’m so proud of both of them. They are amazing kids. Grace’s hair is long and gorgeous so she is also going to donate it to the Little Princess Charity where it can be made into a wig, so hopefully some other little girl who is struggling can benefit.’

Tracey Taylor, owner of Station Cuts, cut Grace’s hair for free and her customers also donated to the cause. ‘It is such a good cause and I know Grace’s grandparents so I was happy to assist,’ she said.