Ponytail donations

Growing hair is something 8-year-old Riley Lupold has done well since before birth. She entered the world with three inches of straight black hair. Since then, her hair has lightened, but grows just as swiftly.

Her older sister, Sierra, 10, has darker hair that grows more slowly. Both girls hope that their hair may make a day brighter for a child who has none. They have donated their ponytails to Locks of Love and plan to do it more.

The girls learned about the effects of cancer treatments when their grandfather was diagnosed with an inoperable, terminal disease. A large tumor grew between his lung and throat. He lost his hair from chemotherapy, but the girls said he was handsome anyway.

Through that experience, the sisters found a positive twist in a suggestion from their grandmother. Hours spent in the cancer treatment room had acquainted her with Locks of Love, which provides wigs for children with long-term hair loss. She told her granddaughters that they had the perfect tresses for donation. It has never been damaged by artificial coloring or perms, and is so smooth that clips and ribbons slide right off.

The girls understood that their hair would go to children who were suffering from medical conditions that left them bald. They thought of kids who went to school without hair and how embarrassing that would be.

“We had lots of hair, and we really didn’t need it,” Sierra said.

By last March, Riley’s hair had grown to more than 12 inches and she could sit on it. Sierra’s was shorter, but still met the 10-inch requirement for donors. Their aunt, a hairdresser, cut it off and they mailed it in.

Cancer was not new to the Lupold family. The girls’ grandfather had saved his brother from cancer by donating bone marrow 10 years ago. Another uncle died of cancer. All of the men had different types.

Sierra and Riley kept tabs on their grandpa’s health situation. They visited him in Port Orchard, Wash., where he’d call them his “sweetie girls.” He saved soda cans to recycle whenever they visited. The money went for ice cream for them all.

“We were really, really scared he was going to die,” Sierra said.

Their mother, Leslie, knew that her father was a fighter. It’s been three years since his cancer was declared in remission.

“Apparently, he’s got a lot to live for,” Leslie said. “We still pray every single night and thank the Lord that the cancer hasn’t come back.”

The Lupold sisters go to Skyway Elementary School and have lived in Coeur d’Alene all their lives. They do have interests besides growing hair. Sierra has practiced archery since she was old enough to handle a bow. At age 7 she was winning trophies in competitions against boys twice her age.

Riley likes playing hide-and-seek with her African tortoise, Hubert.

“When the grass is tan you can hardly keep up,” she said.

She looks forward to seeing him reach age 100 and 100 pounds, which is possible for his breed.

Both girls like fishing with their dad, Ken, and swimming. They enjoy camping trips with the family, which includes sisters Victoria, 2, and Raven, 13.

It’s been a year since the girls donated their hair, and Riley’s has grown enough to contribute some more. Sierra had hers trimmed and prefers keeping it shorter, so she may need to wait a while. She imagines how cool it would be to run into the person wearing her hair and say, “Hey, you’ve got my hair!”

“It’s a very good thing to donate your hair,” Sierra said. “We know that we’re very lucky to have hair, and it’s sad that other people don’t.”