Ella Gets the Chop for Charity
With clippers and a pair of scissors, a pupil at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School has shown immense kindness and support for very ill friend.
Recently, Ella-Louise Brown, a Year 9 boarder at the School, heard the news that a close friend had been diagnosed with leukaemia. Wanting to in some way help her friend, Ella decided to fundraise and asked her friend what charity she wanted to donate the proceeds to. The chosen charity was Starlight, a charity that grants wishes to seriously and terminally ill children, and recently granted Ella’s friend with a dream cruise holiday.
Spurred into action, Ella decided to shave her head to raise money - her target was £150. However, her brave decision touched her friends, class mates and teachers who backed her all the way and to date she has raised more than £700.
This morning, dressed in a Starlight t-shirt, Ella sat in front of her Year Group in assembly and had her head shaved by Mr Simon King, Assistant Head and experienced head shaver.
Ella said, “I was really anxious and nervous, more so about being in front of my whole Year Group than actually about shaving my head. It feels strange, but I’m happy I did it.”
During the assembly pupils cheered Ella and chanted her name as her hair fell. Pupils were overheard commenting on how ‘brave’ and ‘lovely’ she was for doing something as drastic as shaving her head to support her friend.
Head of Year 9, Mrs Helen Fraser, ended the assembly by saying, “Ella is marvellous. She makes me incredibly proud and reminds me of why I became a teacher. She is amazing, just like many pupils in this Year Group. Remember, be amazing and do amazing things.”
13 October 2016