IRMO, S.C. — The St. Baldrick's Foundation held its annual pediatric cancer research fundraiser on Saturday, conquering cancer one shaved head at a time.
Hundreds of people gathered at Craft and Draft in Irmo to either shave their heads or make donations to the St. Baldricks Foundation.
“We are here for St. Baldrick's to raise money for pediatric cancer research,” Jamie Sox said.
For some people, shaving their heads was just the right thing to do, as kids with cancer don’t often get an option when it comes to their hair due to treatment.
“It just means doing our part for the kids out there," Jay Wyant said while getting his head shaved. "They don't have no choice. They lose their hair. Ours’ll grow back, not necessarily will theirs.”
For others, the locks piling up on the floor in the back room of the Craft and Draft are personal, especially for former patients whose lives depended on research.
“Our son Brayden is a pediatric cancer survivor," Jamie Sox said. "He was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 10."
“Brock was diagnosed with stage four infant leukemia at eight months old," Linda Schermerhorn said. "They gave us a 0% chance of him living and a 25% chance of him being five, and he will be 27 next month.”
Brock’s family said when he was diagnosed in 1997, there was very little research, and events like this one changed his life.
“They told us when he was diagnosed a couple years before that, he would not have made it," his mom said. "There were 37 children diagnosed in 1997. The whole country. Five lived. And this is one."
Brayden’s family says there’s still work to be done.
“There needs to be more funding. There needs to be more research. There needs to be more done for these children for their treatments,” Sox said.
As for the hair left behind, volunteers and families say it’s the least that can be done to help.
“It's not a big deal," Sox said. "It'll grow back; it’s a small little thing to do."
At the end of the event, St. Baldrick's raised more than $61,000.