Thurso mum's head shave tribute

Sheena proudly sports her new look, all in aid of the Leanne Fund. Photo: Tracy Mackay / Caithness Creative Imagery .

A THURSO mother-of-four shaved her hair for charity in memory of a teenage relative who died in a tragic road accident in Caithness.

Sheena Sutherland (42) raised over £1500 for cystic fibrosis charity the Leanne Fund when the clippers were recently taken to her long locks at the Northern Sands Hotel, Dunnet.

The charitable act was in remembrance of Sheena’s second cousin, Connor Craigie, who died in a car accident at the age of 17 in January.

“I just thought of doing something to raise money for such a good cause that Connor had benefited from,” Sheena explained.

“The head shave just popped into my head and it took me a whole month to decide whether to do it or not, and then I thought, ‘you know what, just go for it’.”

She added: “I’m just amazed to raise that much from just a simple head of hair. Hair means so much to people but to me it’s just hair, it will grow back.”

The hair Sheena had shaved off will be sent to a fund called Wigs For Kids which is a not-for-profit organisation providing hair replacement for youngsters affected by chemotherapy, alopecia, burns and other medical conditions.

Sheena was joined by Connor’s family and friends on the day who showed their support for the Leanne Fund which helped put Connor through his driving test and assists other cystic fibrosis sufferers to enjoy life by providing non-medical treats such as weekend breaks, concert tickets and activity days.

Meanwhile, Sheena said shaving her head has given her more confidence and she is grateful for all the support she received.

“This was all done for Connor,” she said. “I think we don’t always realise how lucky we are having healthy children that are still here. I grew up with Connor, watching his mum and dad go through his illness and he kept so well thanks to both of them.”

More information about the Leanne Fund can be found at www.theleannefund.co.uk