Twelve-year-old donates hair to Locks of Love BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer Patricia "Trish" Franklin, 12, holds 11 inches of her hair after she had it cut by Ana Rodrigues (r) at All About U Salon & Spa in Metuchen last week. Trish donated the hair to the nonprofit organization Locks of Love. METUCHEN - Twelve-year-old Patricia "Trish" Franklin was nervous the day before her big haircut at All About U Salon & Spa last week. "We had to give her a pep talk," said her father, John Franklin, who is a corporal on the Metuchen Police Department. "She was scared and concerned. She has been wearing her hair up in a ponytail for basketball, and she was worried that when she cuts her hair, she wouldn't be able to tie it back." Trish, who is a seventh-grader at St. Francis Cathedral School in Metuchen, got her hair cut for the first time in two years and donated 11 inches of her hair to the Locks of Love organization on Nov. 10, which is a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss. After washing and blow drying Trish's hair, Ana Rodrigues, who owns the salon with Danielle Bongard, combed her long blond hair that fell halfway down her back. Trish Franklin gets ready for her big haircut. "I'm a little nervous," said Trish when her mom, Joanne, asked her if she was. Rodrigues braided 11 inches of her hair, and then with a quick cut with the scissors, the 11 inches came off. When Rodrigues showed Trish the braid, all she could do was smile. "It does feel weird," she said, as Rodrigues styled her hair. After about an hour, it was all over. Trish's hair now sat just above her shoulders and was still long enough to tie back in a ponytail. "I love it," said Trish, with a big smile. It was a year ago when Trish decided to grow her hair to donate it to Locks of Love. "My friend from school did it, and I decided I also wanted to do it," she said. Rodrigues, who has been in the salon business for 23 years, said Trish is one of the many children who donate their hair. "It's a great feeling afterwards," she said. "Any age group can donate, but there tends to be more children who are donating." Anyone who is interested can contact Ana at (732) 516-0155 at the All About U Salon & Spa at 285 Central Ave., Metuchen. Ana and Danielle opened their salon in August. "We have done various cut-a-thon fundraisers throughout the year," said Ana. "We did the cut-a-thon for [former Metuchen High School student] Jonathan Verges a few months ago to raise money for his wheelchair-accessible van and just recently a cut-a-thon for [Metuchen dispatcher] Angelo Donato, who suffered a stroke two months ago." Locks of Love will accept most types of hair, but for those in doubt, consultations are free. "We will provide a free consultation to see if the person can donate their hair," said Rodrigues. "The only type of hair they [the Locks of Love organization] do not accept is bleached or chemically damaged hair. Then a person can set up an appointment with us and get their hair cut. We will style their hair for free." Locks of Love accepts 10 inches minimum (tip to tip) of human hair - it does not accept wigs, falls or synthetic hair. For more information visit www.locksoflove.org.