Locks off at lockdown as Michelle goes bald for NHS charity

Michelle, a director at Aqua Lettings in Morpeth, said she would lose her locks if she received over £500 in pledges to go towards an NHS charity.

The total is now approaching three times that amount for the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

With no professional hairdresser available, Michelle, 48, had to rely on the “talents” of her family, husband Peter Smith, 50 and their children Nathan, 11, Jessica, nine and Patrick, five in their Stannington Station home.

The initial idea was to give Michelle a Mohican, which would be dyed NHS Blue. But that proved more difficult than they thought. Her hair wouldn’t stand up. It kept flopping, so they lopped it all off.

Michelle said: “My husband cut the most of it, but all the kids had a go too.

“It feels a bit draughty around the ears. It takes a bit of getting used to. The kids had forgotten about it when they got up the next morning. They did a double take when they first saw me.

“I’ve had a lot of comments. It was to cheer everyone up and I seem to have done that. It was a bit daft carry-on and it was a laugh-a-minute.”

The family has much reason to be grateful to the NHS. Michelle and Peter will never forget the help they were given when both Nathan and Patrick were born with heart problems.

Michelle also spent three weeks in hospital 10 years ago with appendicitis, peritonitis and septicemia.

The family are now all in good health and Michelle is enjoying life, as well as her new hairstyle.

She said: “It was blue to start with. Then I changed it to pink, then silver, then gold. I think I’m going to go purple tomorrow.”

To contribute to Michelle’s fundraising and hair raising efforts, visit the Aqua Lettings website.

We pay tribute to the NHS health heroes - click here for the Alone Together podcast

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