5 year old goes a cut above for charity

A boy from Cork who’s been growing his hair from the day he was born for a very special cause has finally had his long-awaited haircut.

Five year old Eli Bennett from Clonakilty has been growing out his locks with one brilliant and selfless goal in mind: to help sick children.

Last week, the time finally came to make the cut, with Eli bravely donating an incredible 20 inches of his hair to the Rapunzel Foundation which will be used to make real-hair wigs for children who have lost their own through illness.

And if that wasn’t enough, the remarkable West Cork youngster has used his life-changing haircut to raise vital funds for Make-A-Wish Ireland, a charity working to make dreams come true for critically ill children in Ireland.

Speaking to Patricia Messinger on C103's 'Cork Today' show, Eli’s proud mum, Aimee, explained her own background as a hairdresser first sparked the idea, and Eli was fully onboard from a young age.

Aimee said: “I was hairdressing for a good few years, and there was girls in and out all the time donating. So, I said if I ever had a kid, that they would be doing the same thing, whether it was a boy or a girl.

“I explained to him from a very young age what he was doing, and he was happy enough to do it. He absolutely loved his hair.”

Eli, who turns six in September, has taken the major change completely in his stride. Sitting down in the chair with local barber Nathan, any nerves were quickly replaced by excitement, not least because a haircut meant he finally got to get his ear pierced too.

“The only thing that bothered him was that he wanted to get his ear pierced. I told him he can get his ear pierced the day that he gets his hair cut,” said Aimee.

Asked how it feels to finally sport his brand-new look, Eli simply said: “I feel older.”

“I’d say his friends are going to get a land when they see him because he’s like a totally different boy,” said his mum.

The community response to Eli’s fundraising campaign has been extraordinary. Setting out with a realistic €500 target on iDonate, the total has since skyrocketed past €4,000.

“I kind of always just thought I'd like to do something for kids on the other side as well,” Aimee said.

“I was lucky to have a healthy baby, not everybody is,” she added.

As he gets used to his fresh new cut under a sweltering Irish heatwave, Eli is already planning his next charitable venture.

“He actually decided when we came home on Thursday night when I was putting him to bed. He said, ‘Mom, I'm going to grow my hair for another sick kid again sometime’,” said Aimee.