Little Bo Pink

Times Reporter     

 

If you notice a lot of people sporting pink hair these days it’s not the newest fad, but it is a part of the Hair Massacure fundraiser started by the MacDonald family. The fundraiser began in 2002, and was prompted by the third round of hair loss the MacDonald family’s youngest daughter Kali went through during her chemotherapy treatments. In 2006 the idea of pink hair was introduced and became the signature trademark. 

After listening to a radio ad while with his mom, Ethan Berquist knew he wanted to sign up. 

“Because there was a story on the radio and I felt really bad for the kid and then my mom told me about this and she asked me ‘do you want to dye your hair pink’, and I said yes,” said Berquist.

“Then she asked do you want to shave your head on Valentine’s Day to donate it to people who are bald for wigs, and I said yes.” 

Ethan’s sister Erika had spent some time in the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, so to help fundraise for them is something the whole family was immediately in favour of.   

Erika had kidney reflux. Her ureter was 10 times the size it was supposed to be, which was causing everything in her bladder to kick back up into her kidney and affect her kidneys. Due to an easily misdiagnosed use of antibiotics the infection was held off. Once the antibiotics were stopped, the infection then took over quickly. She ended up septic and an infection took over everything. 

Erika, 20 months, has spent most of her life either in hospitals or on antibiotics. She has had surgery, which resulted in the need for a blood transfusion. 

At the beginning of December 2013 Ericka was taken off antibiotics and seems to be okay now, though further testing in February will determine that.  

“It kind of hits close to home for me, I got lucky my baby’s fine, she’s healthy, she’s good now, but you just hear the stories, he heard them on the radio and he was in tears,” said Ethan and Ericka’s mom Heather Cunningham. 

Within the first 24 hours of fundraising Ethan had collected $1,000. His cousin decided to join in on the fundraising efforts and Heather made them a proposition. 

“I said to them ‘well if you guys hit $10,000 before the head shave I’ll join you,’” said Cunningham. 

“Prior to all this happening his goal was $500, and I thought oh yeah he’ll make that no problem. I didn’t think he would make $2,000 in three days when I said it.”

The boys have until Feb. 14 to raise the money. The head shave takes place on Feb. 14. 

To donate to their team ‘Little Bo Pink’ go to https://www.registrationlogic.com/secure/FundraiserSearch.aspx?E=665.