AT just nine years old, Paige Ferguson is proving that just because you\u2019re little, it doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t make a big difference.<\/p>\n
Last year, Paige lost her best friend to cancer.<\/p>\n
While she said this made her sad, she wanted to find a way to support other people affected by the disease.<\/p>\n
One day she came to her parents with the idea of growing her hair out and donating it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to cut it to my shoulders and then send my hair to the Cancer Council,\u201d Paige said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to make wigs for other people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Right now, her hair is 35 centimetres, and by November it will be over 36 centimetres, allowing for a premium wig to be made by Sustainable Salon and donated to a child.<\/p>\n
Paige\u2019s efforts also include an online Cancer Council fundraiser, which reached its goal of $1000 in just one day and is currently at almost $3000.<\/p>\n
She said the money will be used for cancer treatments to help find a cure for the disease \u201cand also to pay for nurses to look after the people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means so much to me because then someone else doesn\u2019t have to be sad about it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Paige\u2019s mum, Leanne Ferguson, is proud of her daughter\u2019s attitude and efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want every child to be supported that has to go through this, she has lost her friend and that\u2019s been really hard,\u201d Ms Ferguson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is something that she\u2019s doing herself to not let other people suffer.\u201d<\/p>\n
While much of Paige\u2019s fundraising has been online via the Cancer Council website and her mother\u2019s Facebook page, Paige\u2019s dad Kevin Ferguson said they want to spread the word further in the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese days you share it online on Facebook and everyone can see it and you can communicate it that way, but sometimes I feel like getting out and about in the community when you\u2019re fundraising is more important. It\u2019s just been a struggle in the moment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Paige also helps her mum make key rings that are then sold to donators, and already has more ideas in mind, planning to sell cupcakes at school when term four starts.<\/p>\n