Seventeen-year-old Kieran Moïse is making the news after he raised $39,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by cutting off his 19-inch Afro, according to WHNT 19. Moïse had been growing his Afro for six years.
Moïse, who is set to join the U.S. Air Force, knew that he would have to cut his hair soon, but he didn’t want his glorious crown to go to waste. Moïse decided to make an event out of the loss and raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Moïse had a friend who passed away from cancer in grade school and knew how much St. Jude helped his friend and family.
“I did have a friend, Josh Quist, who passed away in my 8th-grade year, and I knew St. Jude helped his family so I knew that was a good company to give to,” said Moise.
With his hair being such a large part of his identity thus far, it was difficult for Moïse to part with, so he decided to pay it forward and donate his hair to Children With Hair Loss, an organization that uses human hair to make wigs for children and teenagers with medically related hair loss such as alopecia, burns and cancer. He invited the community to watch him have his Afro cut off and hoped to raise $1000 per inch for a total of $19,000.
Kieran Moïse’s was bound for the U.S. Air Force Academy, “I knew I didn’t want it to just get cut off and thrown on the floor, so I wanted to give back,” he said. “I knew I wanted to send a message.” https://t.co/WIcQ7Vcvdc
— WDHN (@WDHN) June 25, 2021
“I wanted to give back”
Meet Kieran Moise, a teenager in Alabama, who donates his hair and raises money for kids with cancer. Moise says he started donating in memory of a friend who died from cancer. @JodieCohen tells you more pic.twitter.com/sHj0WohPJO
— WION (@WIONews) July 1, 2021
Family, friends, students and teachers turned up to help cut Moïse’s hair for charity. The event was called “Kieran’s Curls for Cancer” and occurred on May 29 in Huntsville, Alabama. Moïse more than doubled his goal and raised more than $39,000.
The teen hoped to inspire others with his fundraiser and noted that all hair textures are needed for children with hair loss.
“I hope this inspires other people to do the same thing. There’s a length requirement but that’s pretty much it to donate their hair. If anyone else wants to donate their hair or start their own fundraiser, they can,” he said.
