Middle schooler donates his hair to ‘Wigs for Kids’

Reporter: Michelle Alvarez Writer: Drew Hill
Published: Updated:
Luis Palomino
Credit: WINK News

One middle school student is making it his mission for kids affected by medical hair loss to feel confident. Luis Palomino grew his hair out and donated it to “Wigs for Kids.”

Palomino hasn’t had a haircut in nearly two years. “Sometimes my hair gets stuck on like, some chairs, but I don’t care about that,” he said.

All of this, to donate to “Wigs for Kids.” “When I first saw the kids that did not have any hair, I felt worried about them. What I mean about worried is, worried about how people treat them,” said Palomino. “And I don’t want people to treat other people like that.”

Eric Kelley was Luis’s fifth-grade teacher last year at Bonita Springs Elementary School. “Luis has always been the type of kid that wants to do the right thing, and he has beautiful hair,” Kelley said. “The first time I saw him, I was like, ‘Wow, who is this little guy with great hair?’ And I kind of talk to him, and he told me what his plan was. I thought, ‘Wow, what a selfless act.'”

Luis and his family walked into Great Clips along Bonita Beach Road on Saturday afternoon. Just a few snips later and the moment Luis had been waiting for was here.

“I feel great. I don’t know what to do now, but just grow my hair again,” Palomino said. “So, I can donate my hair again and again.”

He also hopes that his story inspires other kids to donate to good causes. “I do want them to do the same thing I did, and I don’t want them to get embarrassed by [what] other people say about them,” said Luis.

To donate to “Wigs for Kids,” Luis had to put his hair in a Ziploc bag and send it in. Wigs for Kids supports children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy, radiation, burns, or any other medical issues at no cost to that child’s family.

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