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Hoover High Freshman Will Shave Off All Her Hair to Support Childhood Cancer Research

Most 14-year-old girls — well, most people in general — would find it difficult to say goodbye to their head of hair. Read on to discover why the decision came easily to Anna Spuhler

Most people get involved with a cause they care about by educating others, fundraising and asking for donations.

But Anna Spuhler, a 14-year-old freshman at , is adding another step —  she will shave her hair off as a way to raise money and bring awareness for childhood cancer.

"The thousands of children that are diagnosed with cancer each year don't have a choice whether or not they want to lose their hair," Spuhler said. "I have choice."

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Her aunt died from ovarian cancer about a year ago, and watching her suffer in pain is what really made Spuhler realize she needed to be part of the solution.

"I figured anything that I could do to prevent someone else from going through the same thing would be worth it."

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"Last November, I thought about Locks of Love, but my hair is too short to donate and has also been treated with color," she said. "When I told my mom that I was upset that I couldn't do Locks of Love, she suggested the St. Baldrick's Foundation."

The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

In the U.S., more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease.

Some ways to get involved are: to be a shavee, volunteer, organize an event, involve your business or your organization or share your childhood cancer story.

It was an easy decision for Spuhler to decide she wanted to be a shavee because she is comfortable with herself and her decisions and has learned not to care what others think, she said.

At first it was difficult to find people in her family who supported her decision because they knew there might be a possibility of her peers making jokes about her bald head.

"They knew it would be hard on me since I'm only freshman in high school and bound to be incessantly made fun of," Spuhler said.

But she also hopes there will be people who understand she is doing this because she wants to help someone and not because she just feels like shaving her head, she said.

For Spuhler, that's what it's really all about — the chance to make a difference and be a part of a worldwide effort to help the fight against childhood cancer.

"I feel I may help someone I don't even know regardless of the situation," she said.

On Sunday, Spuhler will say goodbye to her hair at the 9th Annual St. Baldrick's Event at the Quaker Steak and Lube in North Canton from 2 p.m.-4:15 p.m.

Spuhler's team name is Spuhler's Shennanigans and anyone interested in helping her in this cause can visit the above link to donate and help her reach her goal.

Spuhler first started out with a goal to raise $100. When she surpassed that goal, she bumped it up to $500. To date, she has raised $670, with a current goal of $1,000.

After the event, Spuhler hopes she may inspire others to become involved in St. Baldrick's Foundation.

But, for now, her message is this: "Don't judge a bald book by its cover."

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