Girl Donates Hair for Kids with Cancer

MINNEAPOLIS - There are a lot of different ways to spell heroic. Typically, you don’t think of a trip to the salon as one of them. But that’s the case with 6-year-old Hannah Jacobs of Forest Lake. She’s playing the role of hero. Although it’s her mother who had to work up some courage.

“I’m seriously going to cry!” said Tracy Lebossiere on Tuesday afternoon, as she prepared to watch Hannah get her hair cut. This was her first haircut ever.

“I never had long hair when I was little. And when she was born, everybody thought she was a boy. So I just let it grow and grow and grow.”

But no longer. Hannah decided she wanted to cut it short. And she decided she wanted to do some good at the same time. She feels this way because of the person who once did something very, very good for her.

In June of 2007, fire broke out in their Forest Lake mobile home. Hannah and her brother Nathan were trapped in the back bedroom. Assistant Fire Chief Bruce Wightman was first to arrive and without even putting on his gear, crawled in under the smoke and pulled the unconscious kids out.

They were airlifted to HCMC and spend a week in intensive care. It’s thought that even a few more minutes in the smoke and neither one of them would be here today.

“A huge impact on her. Huge impact on her,” said Tracey. “Bruce Wightman saved her life (and so she) wants to do something nice for him.”

So, two and a half years later, Hannah, with 7-year-old Nathan watching closely, got her waist length hair cut off. The connection: it will be mailed to Locks of Love, which makes wigs for kids with cancer. The donation will be made in honor of Bruce Wightman and the Forest Lake Fire Department.

Hannah wanted to do something good for someone else, just as someone once did something good for her. Helped by a hero. Now, one herself.