She’s not different from many girls, but her long, luxurious braid is the envy of all. Soon, it will be but a memory… but the beginning of a new memory for a young cancer patient.

Janette Sánchez is 5 years-old, and has decided that she will donate her hair to “Locks of Love,” the national group that takes such donations and fashions them into wigs for children under age 18 who suffer long-term hair loss, often due to cancer, treatment or other disease.

“I wanted to help somebody else,” says the precocious kindergartener at Ligarde Elementary School. “Cancer has touched my life and I know that another child will really benefit from my donation,” she said in Spanish. Janette has never before cut her hair.

Janette was inspired by her mother’s cancer experience and by the care provided to her through the Mercy Ministries cancer and women’s health programs.

Little Janette made her wishes known to promotoras at Mercy Ministries of Laredo (MML), Laredo’s non-profit outreach ministry dedicated to a variety of community needs through 14 primary healthcare, healthcare education and social service settings for Laredo and surrounding rural communities. Staff at the South Laredo Clinic helped to coordinate her donation.

“You rarely see someone of this age so committed to sharing and giving. We were all very touched by her kindness and we think others will be as well. This selfless act of giving should inspire others to do the same,” said Sr. Maria Luisa Vera, Mercy Ministries CEO.

Janette’s locks will be cut in a special gathering on Friday, August 24th at Mercy’s South Laredo Healthcare Clinic at 2500 Zacatecas. Her family will join MML members and members of the cancer caregivers community.

“Locks of Love,” a public non-profit organization, provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. It uses the donated hair to create high-quality hair prosthetics.