Making the Cut for Cancer

Anyone who has sported long hair in their lifetime understands the time it can take to grow a long and lustrous mane. Depending on the length, it can take someone years to get lovely locks that even Rapunzel would envy.

If you discovered your friend was about to go bald from chemotherapy, would you be willing to make the cut to donate your hair for a wig?

Two Dublin sisters did just that once they heard their dear friend, whom they met while at Chico State, was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. The friend, who is 28 years old, lives in Baltimore and is a newlywed.

According to breastcancer.org website, stage four breast cancer (sometimes referred to as "advanced") is defined as an "invasive breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes to other organs of the body, such as the lungs, distant lymph nodes, skin, bones, liver, or brain."

Jasmine Roufchaie, 25, a Foothill High School grad and her sister, Natalie Roufchaie, 20, a Dublin High grad, decided they would find a way to have a custom wig made for their friend, now battling for her life and soon to be bald from that battle. After researching wig companies, they found a company called Caring and Comfort in Minnesota to create the wig.

When the sisters discovered that custom wigs don't some cheaply, they enlisted the help of friends to donate the money. Using the power of social media, including Facebook, they were able to raise more than $2,000 in less then 24 hours. Jasmine also created a page titled, "Linds' New Do," to raise the money for not only the wig but also for medical expenses.

The sisters visited the Justin Micheal's Salon in Dublin and asked their long-time stylist, Sylvia Soares, to make the big cut.

Soares says she knew how serious Jasmine and Natalie were when they made their request to each have over nine inches of hair cut off. Caring and Comfort website says that at least eight inches of hair is needed for a wig.

"These two never want me to cut any length off," laughed Soares. "I usually cut their hair dry to make sure not to take off too much."

"She's [Soares] is great about not taking length off and now here we are asking her to cut it all off," commented Jasmine.

The sisters, both who had hair down to the middle of their backs, said they were about to cut three to four years of growth.

"I am a little nervous," said Natalie.

"We have not had short hair in years," Jasmine added.

The trio had collaborated on hair styles after the big cut to ease impact of the dramatic length change.

Soares started with Jasmine and after gathering all of her hair into a ponytail, she made the dramatic cut as Natalie watched. It took about one minute and freshly sharpened shears to cut off years worth of hair.

She repeated the process for Natalie. Both sisters sat in their chairs smiling and slightly in shock, while holding up their newly detached ponytails.

The Roufchaie sisters will send the hair back to be designed into a custom wig that will be sent on to their friend, who started her first round of chemotherapy one week ago.

If you know the Roufchaie sisters, give them a shout out in the comments section of the article. Have you done something like this for a friend? Would you cut your hair for a friend in need? Tell us.