A TEENAGE girl who has lost both her grandmother and her best friend to cancer is donating her hair to help other children with cancer.

Maya Fieldhouse, 16, was inspired to cut off her long hair as a way of making young cancer-sufferers feel better about themselves through a charity which provides them with real hair wigs.

The Bradford College student, who hopes to become an oncology nurse or doctor, wants to make people aware that if your hair is long enough - the donated piece must be at least seven inches long - then you do not have to go as extreme as a shaved head in order to donate to Little Princess Trust.

Maya said: "I've had my hair long for years, so it's been a big deal to have it cut off, but I want people to know that you don't have to have all your hair shaved off to be able to donate your hair to the charity for a wig to be made. You can have it cut short and styled like mine is now. I just think if more people knew about this, then more wigs could be made for children with cancer."

Maya lost her grandmother Marian Hughes to ovarian cancer two years ago, then last year her best friend Connor Lancaster lost his battle with bone cancer, aged 15.

The pair attended Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College together and Maya was among a group of friends that took their school prom to Martin House Hospice last June, as Connor was too ill to attend the actual event.

Maya, who lives with her parents, Samantha and Lyndon Fieldhouse and her two brothers, at Croft House Road, Wibsey, suffered third degree burns to her legs after falling into a bath of hot water at the age of two.

The subsequent skin grafts and scarring also contributed to her wanting to help others feel more "normal", and she is hoping a wig made from her hair can help.

"I know what it feels like to be different from other people and not feel normal and beautiful, because I have burns. By donating my hair I hope that I can help someone who has lost their hair through cancer feel like a normal girl," she added.

Her mum Samantha added: "My mum wore a synthetic wig when she lost her hair, and I think she would have been more confident with a natural one. My mum would have been so proud of Maya for doing this."

Connor's mum Julie, who has shaved her hair off in the past to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, praised Maya, saying: "She's a superstar. She's also looking to organise a charity fun day in July to mark Connor's birthday."

Monica Glass, charity manager at Little Princess Trust, welcomed Maya's donation and called her an "inspiration" to others.

"We are very grateful to Maya for everything that she is doing to support the charity. I am sure that those close to her are very proud of her achievements," she added.

More information on donating your hair, or raising funds for the charity, is available at littleprincesses.org.uk.