Her ears might be feeling the cold but for Sally Mead losing her long locks was a small price to pay for a truly good cause.

The Hunts Post: Zane Smith and Sally MeadZane Smith and Sally Mead (Image: Archant)

The 46-year-old is sporting a new look after volunteering to do a sponsored head shave in aid of six-year-old Zane Smith, whose rare brain condition requires expensive trips to the United States.

The instruction for Sally’s pal, Louise Spurle, who was wielding the clippers at the Oak Tree Centre, Huntingdon, on Wednesday (May 27), was a number three all over.

Sally admitted to having been nervous but said she was spurred on by thinking about Zane, who could not be there as he had been taken ill. “It was emotional,” she added. “Zane had gone down poorly the night before and could not make it because they had to take him to hospital for a brain scan. Thankfully, he’s home and recovering.”

Sally, who delivers goods for Acorn Pharmacy, wanted to raise £1,200 but her total exceeded £2,000.

“I’m over the moon,” she said. And her ponytail was not wasted – it went off to the Little Princess Trust to be made into a wig for children fighting cancer.

Zane’s dad Lee thanked all those involved, adding: “It takes courage to have 23 inches of hair cut off in five minutes. It’s nice people are willing to go out of their comfort zone. She’s a legend.”

Zane has CCM3, an ultra rare condition which affects fewer than 100 people in the world, that causes cavernoma, abnormal blood vessels in the brain.

The money raised helps the Smiths to pay for the trip to Chicago, in July, to monitor his brain lesions and to find out how many more he has.

Any funds that are left over go to the Cavernoma Alliance, a charity supporting those affected by the condition.

INFORMATION: To sponsor Sally, visit www.justgiving.com/sallymead/.