Cancer-battling mum has long hair shaved off for two charity appeals

Sabrina Fallon pictured after her headshave fundraiser.

Sabrina Fallon had her head shaved to generate funds for both Macmillan and an appeal for twin brothers who have a debilitating disease.

Sabrina, from Peterlee, was first diagnosed with cervical cancer aged just 17 but had laser surgery to remove the cells.

Sabrina Fallon pictured before her headshave fundraiser.

Then, at 21, she had to have several polyps, which are abnormal growths of tissue, taken out by surgeons.

For more than a decade now Sabrina, who is 34, has been in remission, but she carries the BRCA gene, meaning she is more at risk of developing cancers.

Doctors feared just two years ago thought she may have ovarian cancer, but thankfully tests revealed that this was not the case.

Sabrina’s motivation for having the head shave was following the death of her uncle Chris Pearcy eight years ago after he suffered from lung cancer.

“Within a year of him being diagnosed it had taken over his whole body almost,” said Sabrina, who is mum to Shannon, 19, and Aimie, 11.

“He went from being such a muscular man who never smoked and didn’t drink much to nothing in such a short space of time and it was hard to see.

“I wanted to do the head shave for Macmillan because when he was in a hospice they were absolutely amazing in their help for him.

“Even the aftercare when he had passed away for his wife was great. I can’t fault them for what they did.”

Cash raised from the event has been split with an appeal to help teenagers Corey and Charlie Merrington, also of Peterlee, who both have muscle wasting condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

The boys were not expected to live beyond the age of 13 but are now 14.

“I know the boys’ mam Marie so I thought it was the right to do to give some of the money to their appeal,” added Sabrina.

“I’ve passed on £200 to the boys and I’ve got £240 to give to Macmillan with some sponsors due to come in too.

“The people that did come along were fantastic and they’ve really held me raise a lot more.”

In the meantime Sabrina is now getting used to having short hair.

“When I was 21 I went through chemotherapy and lost a lot of my hair, but for the last 13 years it’s been long - and horrible in my opinion.

“I’m still looking for my hairbrush on a morning when I wake up so I haven’t quite got used to it yet!”