A close shave: family rally for cancer sufferer, Avie, 10

A Tauranga salon has a new hairdresser, just 10-years-old, dressed in a bright red panda top, bald skull adorned in coloured jewels. Her speciality is a cut that takes courage to pull off: the total shave off.

Yesterday at Salon One, Fraser Cove, 10-year-old cancer sufferer Avamarie (Avie) Thompson played hairdresser to seven family members, shaving their hair off completely to raise money and awareness for the Child Cancer Foundation.

Lining up for Avie's clippers, set to a ruthless zero, were Avie's mum Desiree George, 27, dad Kyle Thompson, 28, grandmother Shona Bassett, Avie's poppa Peter George, Shona's partner Aaron Samuels, Avie's uncles Cameron and Chad George, and family friend Tait Coe.

"It is a way of showing Avie in a symbolic way that we are all here for her and we care," said grandmother Shona, who had shoulder length brunette curls.

"I am not even worried about my hair, but it will be pretty emotional. Having Avie shave us all, after all she has been through, and all the family behind her, it's a very emotional thing."

The final client was mum Desiree who plaited her long lilac hair into braids, which hairdresser Hillary Pound carefully scissored off to preserve them to make a beanie hat for Avie.

Mum and daughter cuddled as Desiree's long locks fell to the salon floor, joining the rest of the family's shorn hair in a multicoloured pile on the floor.

"It is only hair," said Desiree, "I think we are all rocking this bald look actually. In any case we have stocked up on hats."

The youngest family member up for the cut was Cameron, 16, who had been quite attached to his streaked shoulder length hair, although he denied he used to blow dry it despite the assertions of the rest of the family.

"But we have had the school ball, so now is time for a new look", said the Mount Maunganui College student, who added that he expected Avie's other uncle Chad, would "squeal like a girl" when it came to his turn.

Chad did decide to hold on to his beard, and for that Avie threatened to shave his eyebrows.

When Poppa's time for the chop came, Avie said: "Good job I am doing this Poppa, as you have dandruff."

Avie's trip to the salon was her first day in public since she had been diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer in January this year.

Avie has had surgery to remove her kidney and lymph nodes, radiation, and a 25-week chemotherapy cycle which she finally completed on Friday.

The family was taking part in the "Shave Your Lid for a Brave Kid" programme to support the Child Cancer Foundation, and since NZME told the story of Avie's brave battle, the page has raised $9000.

"It is great to help the foundation as they have been there for us every step of the way.

"It's good to get the story out there for other families going through the same thing . . . it can be isolating for the kids with cancer as people don't know what to say or do and by doing things like this it makes people see, we are all just humans in this together."

In support of Avamarie's fundraising efforts her school, Omanu Primary, is doing a wig day on June 21.

Donate to Avamarie's fundraising page here.