"I can't imagine how hard it is to be sick and not have hair," Cady said.

On Jan. 30, the Campbell resident and fifth-grader at St. Christopher's Elementary School in Willow Glen arranged to have her hair cut at Palozzi Salon in downtown Campbell.

"I've had my hair long since I was a baby," said Cady, whose hair hung to her waist. "I've had it trimmed but never cut."

Cady, who heard about Locks of Love from other children, talked with her mother, Mary, and decided to cut and donate her hair to the organization.

"We think it's wonderful. We are very proud of her," her mother said. "Cady has always been a kind soul and always caring for people. If someone is sick, she is taking care of them."

Locks of Love creates custom-made prosthetics to help restore a child's self-esteem and confidence, allowing them to better fit into their peer group.

According to the organization's website, the majority of its recipients are girls, though the group helps boys as well. More than 2,000 hair donations are received through the mail each week; 80 percent of the donors are children.

"The neat thing about our organization is it is literally kids helping kids," said Locks of Love representative Susan Stone. "Kids typically can't write a big check or organize a huge fundraiser, but they can change a life by cutting their hair. I am continuously amazed at the kids who are willing to give up part of their identity to help another kid get back some of theirs."

Locks of Love provides its recipients with a custom, vacuum-fitted hairpiece made entirely from donated human hair. The vacuum fit is designed for children who have experienced a total loss of scalp hair and does not require the use of tape or glue. Most of the applicants suffer from an auto-immune condition called alopecia areata, for which there is no known cause or cure. Others suffer from severe burns, or have endured radiation treatment. There are also dermatological conditions that result in permanent hair loss.

The organization was founded in 1997 by Madonna Coffman after her daughter developed alopecia at age 4. Since this time, Locks of Love has helped more than 1,400 children. Each hair piece utilizes approximately 150,000 strands of hair and requires the use of six to 10 ponytails.

With the assistance of her sister, Alyssa, Cady consulted with stylist Ashley Douthit about her new look. As an athletic and active pre-teen, Cady wanted to be able to still put her hair in ponytail, but opted for layers and bangs to frame her face.

"My head feels really light and when I shake my head," said Cady, after it was cut. "My hair doesn't whap me in the face any more. It's a lot of change, but I really like it."

And in the future Cady plans to regrow her hair and make another donation to Locks of Love.

A list of local salons, specific requirements for donating hair and other information can be found at www.locksoflove.org or by calling 888.896.1588. Although hair can be cut by any stylists as long as they follow the guidelines, several salons around town offer free cuts to Locks of Love donors.