Friends plan charity head shave to send Wirral mum with cancer on dream holiday to Disneyworld

Nov 21 2012 by Lorna Hughes, Heswall News

A BIG-HEARTED group of friends are shaving their heads to send a Wirral mum with cancer on a dream holiday to Disneyworld.

The Baldy Birds, as they have been dubbed, launched their fundraising campaign to show their support for inspirational Lisa Williams, 33.

Teacher Lisa, who is from Moreton but now lives in Whitby, near Ellesmere Port, was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2011. She had a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and was given the all-clear last October.

But in June a scan found the cancer had spread to her liver and lungs and doctors told the mum-of-one it was incurable.

Lisa’s friends Sarah Bell, Steph Humphreys and Joanna Pemberton and cousin Jill McCoy were spurred into action after reading a comment from Lisa on Facebook about her hair falling out after starting chemotherapy again.

They hope to raise thousands of pounds to send Lisa, her four-year-old son David and partner Shaun to Disneyworld in Florida.

Sarah, from Woodchurch, said: “Lisa wrote on Facebook that she was taking control and shaving her head because her hair was falling out. Jill and I messaged each other to say how brave she was.

“Jill said to me ‘I feel like shaving my head with her to support her’ so I said ‘well let’s do it!’

“I’d do anything for Lisa. If she came to me tomorrow and said she needed my right arm so be it. She’s one of the most amazing people I’ve ever had the privilege to meet and call my friend.

“She doesn’t know what the future holds but she just gets on with things and takes each day at a time.

“We hope to raise enough to pay for Lisa and her lovely little family to have the holiday of a lifetime together to create some fantastic memories.”

The head shave, supported by Liverpool hair salon Voodou, will take place in Liverpool One on December 1 at 3pm.

Other planned fundraisers include a Spinathon at Upton gym Evolution on December 27 and a bag pack in Asda Arrowe Park on November 25.

It is thought sending the family to Florida will cost around £3,000, with a similar bill for travel insurance because of Lisa’s condition. An online appeal has raised more than £2,000 in just over a week.

Lisa, who teaches IT at a school in Connah’s Quay, is now having chemotherapy every week. She said she had always dreamed of taking David to Disneyworld and was “gobsmacked” by the gesture from her friends.

She said: “The first I knew of it was when Sarah messaged me to say her, Jill and Steph were going to shave their hair off too.

“It takes a lot of courage as a woman to shave your head and what they’re doing is so selfless. People have been so generous. I’m overwhelmed by the support I’ve been shown.”

Donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/Baldy-Birds-for-Lisa