Devoted auntie Gemma shaves her head to support her young niece

A devoted aunt has shaved her head to show the utmost support for her special niece.
Gemma with her new do!Gemma with her new do!
Gemma with her new do!

Gemma Ryan of Wakefield sheared off her hair live on social media, to support her niece Millie, who has cancer, and two charities, the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group, and Candlighters – a Leeds-based charity supporting children with cancer and their families.

Millie, 12, has Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, a type of cancer that affects around 50 children in the UK each year.

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She has visited hospital since 2017, and has begun a year-long course of chemotherapy.

Before braving the shave.Before braving the shave.
Before braving the shave.

Gemma works for Northern Gas Networks, where her colleagues have rallied round to sponsor her effort, and help raise more than £2,000.

Gemma said: “The chemo has left Millie with a number of side effects, but she battles through it with more grace and determination then I ever could.

“In the early months it impacted on school and Millie’s energy to do the things she loves. A few weeks later the country went into lockdown and Millie started shielding from the outside world, including her extended family.

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“In March, Millie was losing her hair and made the decision to cut her waist length hair to her shoulders.

“In solidarity I cut most of my hair off too.

“As Millie started to lose more hair I decided I wanted to go the extra mile and raise money by shaving my head completely.

“I was hoping to raise around £200, but have reached more than £2000, which is truly amazing.”

Gemma added: “Millie loves to bake, is a brilliant majorette and is one of the kindest people I know.

“Although I haven’t been able to see Millie in person since March, we keep in touch via text and video calls.”

Support her cause at: https://tinyurl.com/yc4jwrmc

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