Suidooster actress Jawaahier Petersen snipped off 31cm of her long hair in honour of those battling cancer.
The mom of two first did the big chop in 2018 after she was encouraged by actress Crystal Donna Roberts who at the time was battling cancer.
Petersen tells the Daily Voice: “ In 2018 I was backstage at the talk show Tussen Ons, waiting for my insert and Crystal from Arendsvlei was talking about her breast cancer journey and I was listening to her story and what really tugged at my heartstrings was not the diagnosis and the treatment but she spoke about how the loss of her hair (due to the treatment) really affected her.
“Her hair was her crowning glory and her hair was not the source of the illness but she had to let go of her hair.”
The daughter of Taliep Petersen says she made a promise to herself to donate her hair and she did so in 2021, when she cut off 32 cm.
The 38-year-old qualified social worker adds: “At the time I was also working on my music called ‘Promise Me’ that spoke of mothers that lost the battle to cancer.
“And I felt this is what I can do because I mean, you can donate towards cancer research, you can run the cancer relay but what can I do in my personal capacity that is worth sacrificing?”
CANSA needs a minimum of 25 centimetres to make a wig.
Jawaahier says: “As an ambassador for the Red Cross Children's Hospital Trust, I have seen some of the paediatric oncology patients and it is really heartbreaking to see these little girls playing with Barbie doll hair feeling un-girly-like because they don't have hair.”
“On Monday I chopped my hair shorter than it’s ever been in my life.”
Jawaahier did the cut at Platinum Hair and Beauty and then took the ponytail to CANSA in Athlone.