A schoolgirl who nearly needed a wig after losing her hair through illness has raised almost £900 for a charity that supports other children in a similar position – and she hopes to get even more. 

Eight-year-old Olivia Eva from Helston has also had an incredible 12 inches of hair cut off, to donate to the Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides real-hair wigs to children and young people who have lost their hair through cancer treatment and other conditions.

But just four years ago, back in 2018, it looked as though Olivia, now a pupil at Wendron School, may have needed a wig herself, after she became very poorly and lost all the hair on the top of her head.

Her scalp was so damaged and scarred that dermatologists feared there was very little hope of her hair growing back

As a result, Olivia's parents, Sarah and David, started discussing options, including wigs from the Little Princess Trust.

Fortunately, her hair did grow back, which is why Olivia decided she would like to now donate some of it to help other children "who have not been so lucky."

To do this, she needed to donate not only the lengths of her hair, but also money to cover the £550 it costs to make, post, fit and style each wig.

Thanks to the generosity of friends and family she has surpassed that, raising £895 to date. However, if she can raise £1,100 it will be enough to cover the cost of producing two wigs.

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Olivia's mum Sarah said: "We are extremely proud of Olivia. She has been growing her hair for four years, after losing it due to illness when she nearly needed a wig herself.

"This is very close to all our hearts as they were so supportive during such a tough time.

"Thank you so very much to everyone for their donations. We are absolutely overwhelmed by the love and support.

"We are still raising money so please support this amazing charity."

People can donate via Olivia's online fundraising page, www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sarah-eva

The Little Princess Trust receives no formal funding and relies solely on the efforts of fundraising.

Through their support, the charity has provided more than 12,000 wigs to children since 2006, as well as given out grants worth more than £17 million towards research projects focussed on finding more effective treatments for childhood cancers.

The charity said: "When a child loses their hair to cancer or another condition, we'll be there with a free, real hair wig to help restore their confidence and identity. We won't stop until the research that we fund ends childhood cancer forever."

Visit www.littleprincesses.org.uk to find out how to support the charity or request a wig.