“Because Kizzi’s head is so small, you can’t just buy any wig off the internet, we have tried. I always make sure that she has the new one ready to start the school year in September, and then another one around January,” said Ceri.
Kizzi-Rae is due to start Year nine in September, but Ceri was worried if they do not find funds for the new wig that she will refuse to go to school.
“She won’t go to school if she doesn’t have it and if she doesn’t go to school, I’m worried I will get fines and it’ll just open up another can of worms,” said Ceri.
She added that Kizzi-Rae’s current wig was old, shedding and needed replacing immediately, which prompted her to set up a GoFundMe page – raising £1,068.
“Friends and family have been amazing. Kizzi’s a keen footballer, so the football groups and parents have been sharing it too. It’s been overwhelming. People are so kind,” said Ceri.
The fundraiser also caught the attention of Tim Holt, owner of Holts Orangeries and Conservatories, who sponsors Kizzi-Rae’s football team Aston Park Rangers Girls.
He sent the family £1,200 that has paid for a wig for Kizzi-Rae to have for the start of the school year, but Ceri is still concerned about the future.
“I just want the people who are in charge of health boards and the government to look at things like this that are a massive thing in a child’s life,” said Ceri.
“They need to be more aware of the struggles people have, and I want to get this issue raised in government.
“Eventually I want to start a charity to help other little girls like Kizzi that are in the same difficult position as us.
“For kids these days, it’s hard enough growing up in this world we live in without the added pressure of this.”
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, which operates the Salford Royal hospital, said a review of the service led to patients’ ongoing wig provision being transferred to their local health providers, “helping to ensure care is delivered closer to home”.
“We recognise that arrangements for wig provision may differ between hospitals, as each organisation operates its own pathways and funding arrangements. Patients will be guided towards the most appropriate local service to support their ongoing needs.”
Teresa Owen, deputy chief executive and executive director of Allied Health Professions and Health Sciences at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which runs Wrexham Maelor Hospital, said cancer and dermatology patients get £200 in wig vouchers a year which is “only possible thanks to the donations the charity receives from the public”.
“We understand the patient’s family has also contacted our People’s Enquiry and Resolution Service (PEARS). The team is reviewing their concerns raised and will be in touch with the family directly.”