A TAVISTOCK woman has had her head shaved in a bid to raise funds for a young woman in the USA suffering with Neurofibromatosis — a condition in which tumours grow in the nervous system — despite having never met her.

Jill Howe, who works in Scruples in the town, had her locks lopped off and has managed to raise more than $11,000 for Gabbi Brown, a friend of her son, who lives in Alburquerque, New Mexico.

Gabbi, 22, inherited the condition from her mother, who died from the same disease when she was a teenager.

Gabbi’s disease had laid dormant for a number of years but just before Christmas a tumour was found to be pressing on her optic nerve. She is now undergoing radical treatment to try to save both her hearing and sight, which is very expensive due to the healthcare system in the USA where individuals have to pay their medical bills, unlike in the UK where the NHS covers the costs of medical treatment.

Jill said: ‘I thought shaving my head would upset me but I knew it would grow back and it was so worth it.

‘Gabbi is a friend of the family and even though I’ve never met her, we’ve been friends on Facebook for a long time. I wanted to raise money to help her pay her bills and she also wants to go to sign language classes because she may need it in the future.

‘I’ve raised $1,165 for her so far and nearing the £1,000 mark. She’s got just under $2,000 left to reach her target of $5,000 and I would still love to boost it for her. I’ve spoken to her cousin and told her about everyone who has donated and she said she was overwhelmed.’

Anyone who would like to help Jill boost funds for Gabbi’s treatment can either donate directly to Jill at Scruples, who will forward the money on or visit www.youcaring. com/gabbibrown-736045, although money will be taken in US dollars and charges may apply.