Carolyn with Rangebank Pre-school children Cooper, Mitchell, Hayley, Jamie, Chloe, Jade, Elizabeth, Cooper, Zac, Chloe, Nicholas, Caitlin, Jennifer and Tyler. Picture: Stewart Chambers.
By Sarah Schwager
A CRANBOURNE woman decided raising money for the Leukaemia Foundation was more important than keeping her hair when she took it all off in the World’s Greatest Shave last week.
Carolyn Warn did the deed at Rangebank Pre-school on Friday much to the amazement of the children, who also supported the cause by colouring their hair.
Mrs Warn said it was important for her to support the initiative as a healthy person with two healthy children, Mitchell, 3, and Cooper, 4, who attend the pre-school.
“If everyone who is not touched by the disease does a little bit to help out it will make a huge difference,” she said.
“If someone is in a situation where a partner or a kid has leukaemia, they haven’t got time to raise awareness or do fundraising.
“I am just so grateful I’ve got two young boys who are healthy and happy.”
Leukaemia is the number one childhood cancer in Australia but predominantly develops in young adults and older people in the community.
About 7300 people are diagnosed with leukaemias, lymphomas and myeloma each year.
While Mrs Warn had committed to the shave some time ago, her mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer just two weeks ago, which made the cause all the more important.
About five years ago a good friend of Mrs Warn’s lost her husband to leukaemia after they had been married for just two months, which Mrs Warn said had impacted on all of them.
Now running daycare in her home, Mrs Warn previously worked as a medical receptionist for 14 years and said she had seen how destructive cancer and leukaemia were on the whole family.
To raise the money and awareness for the Leukaemia Foundation, she put books at local medical centres and businesses and staked out Cranbourne Centro, handing out 250 balloons.
And how does she feel about losing her hair?
“I know it will grow back so I’m more than happy to do it,” Mrs Warn said.
“So many people don’t get their hair back. It’s the least I can do.”
Mrs Warn’s stepdaughter Crystal Warn also decided to take all her hair off for the cause.
Mrs Warn has raised more than $900 so far.
People can still donate to either Carolyn or Crystal by calling 5996 0300 by Wednesday 17 May.
