East Islip Student Raises $1,200 For Child Cancer Research

EAST ISLIP, NY — An East Islip student senior is giving back — and giving her hair.

Kristy Murphy, a senior at East Islip High School, recently raised more than $1,200 by shaving her head for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which supports finding cures for children with cancer.

Kristy told Patch that she was inspired to shave her head for multiple reasons. Her grandmother and uncle both had cancer, she said.

And several years ago, her older sister and two brothers also raised $1,4000 by shaving their heads for St. Baldrick's.

"I've been waiting for years to do it," she said. "My mother was not very lenient on letting me do it. But she finally let me do it this year."

According to its website, the name of the foundation is not associated with a recognized Saint of the Catholic Church, but is founded on word play and appropriation of the title of sainthood.

According to the St. Baldrick's website, 1 in 264 children in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer before they turn 20. Children are lost to cancer more than any other childhood diseases combined, it states.

In a family affair fashion, Kristy said her father shaved was the one who shaved her head in their home.

"I was nervous at first," she said, "but overall, I was very excited for it to happen."

Participants can choose to shave their heads at home or partake in community events.

Shaved hair is not donated, by St. Baldrick's, its website says, but volunteers are welcome to shave their heads at the organizations' events and donate their hair to another organization.

Kristy said she grew her hair out to eight inches so that she can donate her hair to Locks of Love.

Although her grandmother has passed, she said her uncle was "very happy" that she put so much effort into helping others.

"It was just a great feeling to be able to do it for people that I care about," she said.