The courage to go bald: Why more girls in Singapore are shaving their heads for children with cancer
Gerlyn Ng, an 18-year-old student in Singapore, shaved her head to support the Hair for Hope campaign for children with cancer. The initiative aims to raise S$5 million while challenging social stigmas regarding female beauty standards.
Why it matters
The story highlights growing social awareness and charitable participation among youth in Singapore regarding health-related stigmas.
SINGAPORE: Walking into the foyer of Yishun Innova Junior College on July 1, Gerlyn Ng was met with cheers and loud applause from her schoolmates.
She was not receiving an award. The 18-year-old was about to have her long, black hair shaved off in a show of support for children battling cancer, and was the only female in her school to do so that day.
“I was very nervous. But the whole thing took only about three minutes,” she said.
She is one of a growing number of females joining the annual Hair for Hope campaign by the Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF) to raise awareness of childhood cancer and funds for the cause. People go bald in solidarity with young patients, showing them it is okay to lose one’s hair.
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