With the kids back in school and a sudden turn in weather, it’s no surprise that Halloween will be here in the flick of a black cat’s tail, or that just around the corner from there is the jolliest season of the year.
And while it’s well known that Christmas is the time of year when when people are typically the most generous—donating food and money to all sorts of worthy causes—a Chilliwack mom says it doesn’t need to be a special time of the year to donate to those amongst us who are most vulnerable.
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“Donating year-round is easy to do,” said Tara Fanzega, who’s a working mom to two young boys. And it doesn’t always have to be costly.
“How often do you get your hair cut? ” she continued.
“I’m donating my entire body,” joked Fanzega as she climbed into a chair inside one of downtown Chilliwack’s oldest hair salons, Michael’s on Main.
With her long, chestnut brown locks gathered into a ponytail, Fanzega admits she’s nervous: her hair hasn’t been short in nearly a decade. But “I am so excited to be able to help someone hair-wise suffering with crappy cancer, ” she continued.
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While waiting for her turn to be cut, washed, and styled, Fanzega said her was being donated to Wigs for Kids, an organization that’s been providing replacement systems for children with hair loss for more than 30 years.
And besides giving away her hair, Fanzega said she’s also an organ donor, has recently become a blood donor, and has now signed up to be a stem cell and/or marrow donor through Canadian Blood Services’ One Match program.
“Honestly, I don’t (even) know how it began,” said Fanzega of her body-based donations. “I think it was more of a why not? What’s stopping me? If everyone found it in their hearts to help, the world would be a better place.
“I’m open to helping anyway I can,” she added. “And I like to help people. You don’t have to be a doctor to save lives, anyone is capable!”
@SarahGawdin
Sarah.Gawdin@theprogress.com
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