Since October 2021, Unicamp's Hospital de Clínicas (HC) has been a permanent hair collection center for Uncle Fininho Project, in partnership with NGO Fio de Alegria, which makes wigs for patients diagnosed with cancer or other types of diseases that cause hair loss. Every month, hundreds of hairs are delivered personally to the HC Communication Center, located on the third floor of the hospital. There is no age limit to donate.
This year, for the first time, one of the donors was a 13-year-old boy. Without attending school during the pandemic, Luis Felipe Aquino da Silva let his hair reach his shoulders because he was too lazy to cut it. As he likes rock, his long hair also matched his musical style. On January 19th of this year, the day before his birthday, he decided to cut and donate his hair.
“It was emotional, because he thought about everything he went through until his hair grew back, especially the criticism he received. But he remained firm in his purpose and now decided that the hair would be useful for making a wig, especially for children with cancer”, revealed his mother, Fabiana, emotionally.
When donating his hair, Felipe was also moved, especially when remembering his aunt who died of cancer and whom he never met. “I have a photo of her carrying me on her lap as a baby,” said the boy, who wants to be an automobile engineer.
“Donating your hair is really cool,” said five-year-old Mariana Tengan, who cut her hair at the HC Communications Center, during the donation made on February 6th. Daughter of Cedyna Tengan, an employee at the Unicamp HC Surgical Center, the girl showed that her hair was too long to donate.
Another girl who came to donate her hair was Manuela Biasi, 10 years old. She came accompanied by her sister, Maria Eduarda, and her father, José Felipe Biasi Filho. The donation, according to José Felipe, was motivated by a recent case of cancer in the family, which had a positive outcome. “My wife had to undergo chemotherapy and now she is fine”, he recalled.
Uncle Fininho Project
The Tio Fininho project has existed for two years. Based in the city of Indaiatuba, SP, the project receives hair from Brazil and even abroad. In 2021 alone, the Tio Fininho project has already received more than three thousand “strands of hope”, which are sent to the NGO Fio da Alegria. To make a wig you need, on average, 10 strands.
The strands donated between the months of November and December 2022 were transformed into wigs that were delivered to Unicamp's HC. On the day of delivery to the HC, Mariana was in the hospital and was able to receive some of the 10 wigs already ready for the oncology patients at the Unicamp HC from Fininho himself. The delivery was attended by the entire Tengan family: Cedyna, the mother; Rafael, the father, and Lucas, the older brother.
“It’s always good to see solidarity in our children. They are our future and the example that it is possible to do good for others by giving a little of yourself”, said Fininho.
