Tate Papworth
Most 11-year-old girls see a bad hair day as a nightmare, but for Sunshine West’s Mia Koutsodimitropoulos it’s a source of pride.
Mia is taking part in Variety’s Bad Hair May fundraiser.
While the goal is to raise money for the charity, Mia had a very personal reason for taking part.
“I am 11 turning 12 and girls in my age group take their hair for granted,“ she said.
“My twin brothers, Marcus and Jacob were both diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor (kidney cancer). They both needed surgery and both had their left kidneys removed.
“They also had chemotherapy which caused Marcus more than Jacob to then lose hair.
“This was a hard time for me and my family which led to me wondering how I could improve someone else’s life.“
Mia set herself a goal of raising $500 before she started, but with the support of her friends and family, she’s eclipsed that, raising $2000.
“I had a big support group and I am so grateful for everyone that donated. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today,“ Mia said.
“I’m so grateful for everyone’s efforts in sharing my posts. Not only were they posted on social media but my principal also shared my fundraising link on our school page network.“
With the fundraising leg complete, all that’s left for Mia to do is dye her hair red.
“I chose red because Variety’s trademark logo is red and I will be doing that in honour of Variety and what they have done.
“I have been hurting while my brother Jacob was diagnosed, had surgery and received treatment for over 27 weeks and then my brother Marcus was diagnosed with the same cancer not even a year after Jacob finished treatment.
“Doing this fundraiser is a way I can help other children in need and also helps me focus on something else.“
Tate Papworth
