Across many schools in Ho Chi Minh City, students, teachers, and parents are growing their hair not for beauty, but for kindness turning every strand into a silent pledge of empathy and hope for cancer patients.
Some people grow their hair long not to look beautiful, but to one day give it away. In many schools across Ho Chi Minh City, growing hair for donation is not a short-term campaign; it is a voluntary, heartfelt choice made by students, teachers, and even parents. Each lock of hair represents months, sometimes years, of quiet commitment and care, embodying a silent promise to share and support.
At Nguyen An Ninh Secondary School in Ho Chi Minh City’s Tam Thang Ward, the hair donation program has been sustained for three years. Rather than focusing on numbers or formalities, the school highlights the participants’ willingness and sincerity, qualities that have kept the initiative alive and meaningful.
For many students, the decision to grow their hair began from simple and touching moments. Some had seen cancer patients leaving chemotherapy rooms with bare scalps. Others felt compassion for young women facing illness and the loss of their hair. Some carried memories of loved ones who endured long, painful treatments. From those quiet emotions grew the decision to nurture their hair until it was long enough to give away.
Tran Bich Thao Nguyen, a ninth grader at Nguyen An Ninh Secondary School, is among the most active participants. Having donated her hair twice, Nguyen says it was not a spontaneous act but a choice born of understanding and empathy. For a young girl, growing long hair is not easy. The hot days make it inconvenient, and at times she wanted to cut it short. Yet she remained patient, keeping her hair as a way to fulfill the silent promise she made to herself. “My hair will grow back, but for patients, especially women, hair is precious. Without it, they often feel insecure,” she shared.
For sixth grader Nguyen Bao Anh, the decision to grow her hair came from a deeply personal memory. Her grandfather passed away after battling cancer. During her visits to the hospital, she noticed his hair thinning with each chemotherapy session. That image stayed with her. Understanding the loneliness and loss that patients endure, she decided to grow her hair to donate it. “I want to give my hair to people like my grandpa, so they can feel less lonely and more confident,” Anh said softly.
This spirit of sharing extends beyond a single school. At Chau Duc Secondary School in Ho Chi Minh City’s Ngai Giao Commune, many students have spent years growing their hair, giving up coloring or straightening it to meet donation standards. Eighth grader Bui Nguyen Thuong Uyen said she has cared for her hair more carefully since deciding to donate it. She shared that although she loves having long hair, she hopes hers can serve a meaningful purpose.
After three years, Nguyen An Ninh Secondary School has collected nearly 150 hair bundles from students and teachers, which are sent to networks supporting cancer patients. Qualified hair donations are turned into wigs and delivered to patients in hospitals. Nguyen Tuan Thanh, owner of Tuan Thanh Hair Salon in Ho Chi Minh City’s Vung Tau Ward and a long-time program partner, explained that natural hair wigs are gentler on sensitive scalps and help reduce the self-consciousness many patients feel. “For many, these wigs are not just gifts; they are emotional support, helping patients find the strength to continue treatment,” he said.
Cancer patient Dang Thi Minh could not hold back tears when she saw her reflection with her new wig for the first time. After months of hiding under scarves and avoiding eye contact, her new hair restored her confidence. “This gift makes me feel loved and not alone, it gives me the faith to keep fighting,” she said.
Even children benefit from these gestures of kindness. For young patients who may not fully understand illness, a new wig helps them see themselves as they once were. Their bright smiles when they look in the mirror remind everyone that sometimes, even a small act of giving can bring warmth, hope, and healing to lives touched by hardship.
