TWO brave girls from Barrow donated their hair to a children's charity to support their sister who had just undergone life-changing surgery.

Lexi Sharp, 11, and Hallie, four of Lord Roberts Street, decided to donate their locks in a sponsored haircut to raise money for Manchester Children's Hospital.

Their older sister Savannah, 12, had an operation four weeks ago to implant a £40,000 cochlear device in order to restore her hearing.

When Savannah was nine, it was discovered that she suffered from the condition cholesteatoma.

This rare condition, that only affects 1 in 1,000 people who suffer from ear problems, caused the hearing in one of Savannah's ears to be lost.

After her sisters saw her in hospital, they decided to raise money for the hospital.

Vicky Sharp, the girls' mum said: “They saw this and wanted to do something.

“They wanted to raise some money for the hospital because of the excellent care their sister had.”

The girls decided to cut their hair for charity after being inspired by Savannah, who did the same thing two years ago.

Mrs Sharp said: “Savannah was originally inspired to cut her hair two years ago to help children with cancer.

“She just came home one day and said ‘Mum can I cut my hair off?’

“She is just a very thoughtful, caring person.”

The charity Savannah raised money for was the Little Princess Trust.

It takes donations of hair in order to make wigs for children who have lost their hair through cancer treatment, or other illnesses.

It has had global support through celebrities such as One Direction’s Harry Styles, and pop superstar Jessie J.

Mrs Sharp was blown away by how kind her two younger daughters were.

She said: “They’re so young, but so caring. You’d never expect that from children that young.”

The girls set about collecting sponsorship from their local community as well as from their classmates at Vickerstown Primary School, Walney.

After weeks of growing their hair the moment of truth came on June 22 when the girls finally had their hair cut in front of their school by hairdresser and family friend Michelle Tinker.

Mrs Sharp said: “There were quite a few tears in the room when it happened.

“But, most of them were from me.

“It was so nice that they will be able to help people.”

Savannah is recovering well after her operation, and will soon have her implant activated on July 7.

Mrs Sharp said: “The main consultants have been excellent with us, the nurses too, we’re so grateful.

“Thank you to the local people who donated to us.”

The girls have raised £500 so far, but their Just Giving page is still open at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Vicky-Sharp1

The science behind cochlear implants


What is a cochlear implant and how does it work?

The ear is made up of three parts, the outer, middle and inner. We hear things because sound travels into our ear, causing our eardrum to vibrate. This vibration travels through the tiny bones inside our ear to a part of the ear called the cochlea, where the vibrations are sent to the hearing nerve, which goes to our brain.

Cochlear implants are used to restore hearing to people whose ears have been damaged. A small sound processor that is worn like a hearing aid picks up sound, which is then converted into a digital code, and sent inside the head via a device called the coil.

The digital code is converted into electrical impulses by the coil, which are then sent down electrodes inside the ear. These electrodes stimulate fluid inside the cochlea which then sends impulses down the hearing nerve, which stimulates the brain, allowing us to hear.

The surgery to implant the device on average takes three to four hours.