Seven-year-old Matilda Meek is getting ready to donate more than 60 centimetres of her hair to national fundraising charity, Hair with Heart. 

Matilda hasn’t had her hair cut in her life, apart from a few trims to keep the ends tidy. 

Watching older sister Estelle cut off 60 centimetres for the same organisation four years ago, Matilda decided to follow suit and is looking forward to her first big haircut on her eighth birthday on June 30. 

Matilda says she is cutting her hair “for kids that can’t grow their own hair”, and her mum Leah couldn’t be prouder of both her girls. 

“For them to have so much empathy at such a young age, you know, there’s not a lot of kids out there that would happily chop off their hair and donate it all,” she says. 

“I think Matilda’s seen what her big sister’s done and how it’s helped, so she wants to do the same.”

Estelle raised $6500 for the charity alongside her donated hair.

“I heard about Hair with Heart from other people who had done it beforehand,” says Leah. 

“That was the main one that popped up and I think it appealed to me so much because it helps young children with more things than just their hair.

“They help children who are less fortunate and are living with a disability, so the fundraising side of it is vital.

“It’s a beautiful charity and if we can help them out in any way, if we can make someone’s life a little bit easier, we will absolutely do it.”

Matilda has set her goals high to raise $8000 by her birthday. She’s  currently sitting at $1150. 

She is particularly looking forward to her school’s “crazy hair day”, which is an initiative that the Richardson Primary School did for Estelle. All money raised from the gold-coin donations will also go towards the charity. 

Matilda says she is excited at the prospect of being able to brush her new hair herself.

“It’s going to be an exciting day when I cut my hair, because it’ll be up to my shoulders!” she says. “It’ll be an exciting birthday present!”

Matilda reckons they will be able to make two short wigs out of her hair and she couldn’t think of a better present than to give hair to two girls in need. 

“It’s important because it goes to kids who can’t grow their hair, but can at least have a wig,” she says. 

Hair with Heart is a hair-donation program that began in 2007 and became part of the children’s charity Variety in 2013. 

Each year the organisation receives more than 6000 donated ponytails of hair and has raised $8 million for children. 

It takes about 16 to 20 ponytails to make a single medical-grade human hair wig. Hair must be longer than 35.5 centimetres to donate. 

Support Matilda at hairwithheart.variety.org.au