How would you react to being told you would lose all your hair?
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For most people it would be devastating but it's the reality Sacha Whitehead faces after being diagnosed with Alopecia.
It is yet another challenge for the Narromine mum, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2012. Doctors have told her the Alopecia was most likely brought on by the combination of the Parkinson's, the medication she takes to treat it, and stress.
Rather than letting the news get her down, Sacha has decided to make it into a positive, electing to raise money to shave her head and donating the proceeds to the Shake It Up Foundation, a Parkinson Disease research charity.
"In the last couple of weeks I noticed some of my hair was falling out so I went to the doctor and he did some blood tests.
"He found it was Alopecia and said it was most likely caused by stress, the disease or the medication I took for it," she said.
"It's basically something I have to live with and I've been told it could take 12 months for my hair to grow back.
"I try to turn things into an opportunity so I thought I could shave it off, start clean and raise some money for charity in the process."
Sacha is no stranger to fundraising.
In April she started selling paintings to donate theproceeds to Shake It Up and wound up handing over $2168.
More recently she was involved with a rugby league fundraiser in Narromine where a further $700 was given to Shake It Up and $3500 from an auction given to Parkinson's NSW.
The former teacher was initially hoping to wait a few weeks before facing the clippers so that she could encourage others to join the cause, but because of her hair loss, has had to bring it forward.
She will now have her head shaved on Friday.
"I have had a couple of people who have shown interest in shaving their heads. I am saying to people they should still do it, they can join my team, even if they do it later on," she said.
"I just didn't want to wait."
After the success of her artworks in April, Sacha is taking up a side project designing greeting cards and the profits raised from those will be donated to the Dubbo Wig Library.
"As part of my research I discovered there is a wig library in Dubbo for cancer patients and anyone who has lost their hair because of illness," she said.
"That's a great service to have and one I will be making use of so I want to give something back."
People who want to donate to her campaign can go to the website http://personalchallenge.gofundraise.com.au/page/Parkinson_Portraits_SHAVEOFF or alternatively they can contact Sacha on 0406 135 172 or sassysacha79@hotmail.com.??
