An 11-year-old child who has never cut his hair decided to donate his mane to Locks of Love on Friday.
So early this morning, Larry Oldham III sat down at Centro Beauty Salon in Chula Vista, and told a hairdresser it was time for a trim.
When asked what kind of cut he wanted, the homeschooled student grabbed his iPhone to show a picture of Los Angeles Clippers basketball star Blake Griffin (though he’s a self-proclaimed Kobe Bryant Fan).
“This is what I want,” he said.
The scissors came out, and nearly 2 feet of braids tumbled off Larry’s head as the hairdresser went to work.
But why, after 11 years, did he decide to donate his curly mane? Turns out Larry was touched by a commercial for St. Jude’s Hospital that showed children without hair because of chemotherapy treatment.
“I want kids to have a little joy in their life,” he said. “Because of how long my hair is, maybe I can make a difference for not just one but two kids.”
Because Larry’s hair is so long, it’s likely more than one person will be able to wear his hair.
He hopes to one day meet some of the people he benefits.
There are perks to having a shorter ‘do. Larry, the youngest of four children, is going for his black belt in taekwondo, so he’s hoping shorter hair will help him during the final test.
And less hair means his mother Lori won’t have to help him comb it every night.
“It would take more than an hour to brush his hair,” she said.
