Ciara's chop for a cause

The death of Ciara Maher's grandmother Pauline Barclay from bowel cancer inspired the Ciara's plan to cut her hair for charity. Photo / Chris gorman

Ciara Maher's waist-length brown hair has grown uncut for at least six years.

But now the 14-year-old Howick College student intends to have it all shaved off in a fundraising gesture to help reduce New Zealand's internationally high rate of bowel cancer.

The cutting and shaving is scheduled for December 6, the birthday of her grandmother, Pauline Barclay, who died aged 52 - well before Ciara was born - of bowel cancer.

Ciara has been thinking of having her hair cut off for a couple of years. She initially thought of raising money for the Child Cancer Foundation, until she spoke to her neighbour, a cancer nurse.

"He said something more specific like ovarian cancer, so I thought I will do it for bowel cancer because my grandmother passed away from it before I was born," she said.

"We all hear of breast cancer, but you never really hear of bowel cancer. I only know about it because my grandmother died of it."

New Zealand has one of the developed world's highest rates of bowel cancer.

It is the country's most commonly registered cancer, with more than 3000 cases a year. And with about 1200 deaths a year, it is our second most common cause of cancer death, behind lung cancer.

Ciara's fundraising efforts will include speaking to a school assembly about bowel cancer and setting up a Givealittle internet donations page. The money will go to Beat Bowel Cancer Aotearoa, a charity which supports patients and is lobbying the Government to extend the Waitemata District Health Board bowel cancer screening scheme into a national programme.

Ciara said some of her friends thought she was crazy to be planning to have her hair cut off.

"My age group it's all about image, but a lot of them are quite supportive - and some say, 'I would die for your hair'."

Ciara's mother, Sue Maher, said Mrs Barclay would have turned 72 on December 6 had she still been alive.

"I said [to Ciara] she would have been so proud of you."

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