News DeskDubai, UAE – A 10-year-old girl from Dubai has shown her generosity and courage by donating her hair to a charity that makes wigs for children and young people who have lost their own hair due to cancer or other conditions.
Aurelia Reeves, a Grade 5 pupil at Swiss International School Dubai (SISD), recently celebrated the anniversary of her own stem cell treatment by cutting off 33 centimeters of her long hair and sending it to The Little Princess Trust, a UK-based charity that provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who need them.
Aurelia was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening condition called Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) when she was just four months old. She survived, but part of her treatment involved receiving 50 liters of blood through a stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor.
Since then, Aurelia has grown her hair as long as possible, knowing that long-haired wigs are most in demand by the charity. She previously shaved her head, along with her teacher, in 2022, donating funds to the wig charity.
Aurelia’s act of kindness has inspired three of her classmates, Sofija, Alena and Emma, to also grow out and donate their hair since Aurelia’s first donation back in Grade 3, two years ago. Sofia and Alena underwent a charity haircut last year, while Emma had her locks trimmed for children’s wigs on the same day as Aurelia.
Aurelia’s school friends, family and the wider community have also supported her cause by donating some AED11,000, which is being shared with the Al Jalila Foundation, a medical education and research charity founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in 2013.
Head of Primary, Shona Gastaldi, praised Aurelia’s story as “truly inspirational” to the entire SISD community. She said: “She is a credit to our school and her passion for charitable causes – including animal welfare and environmental issues – is infectious. Aurelia’s drive, kindness and selflessness epitomise what it means to be a Global Citizen at our school.”
She added: “The fact that her enthusiasm for the cause has now had tangible impact on her classmates and the school is precisely the attitude that deserves recognition, and that we wish to inculcate across the school. The support, camaraderie and understanding are certainly qualities to be celebrated.”
SISD aims to arm pupils with the knowledge, skills and confidence to approach adult life as truly global citizens, through its IB curriculum and multi-lingual teaching approach, and Aurelia exudes the positivity, strength and humility SISD pupils are all encouraged to develop.
