Daniella Maria Sandoval helps “Locks of Love”

Daniella Maria Sandoval, age 6, got a very special haircut January 26 from Tisa Grant at Tisa’s High Performance salon. Daniella, the daughter of Phillip and Stephanie Sandoval and a student at Bedell Elementary School, donated her hair to “Locks of Love” in memory of her cousin, Dustin Meraz, who died at age 11 of neuroblastoma, a deadly form of cancer that attacks the bones in the body. Dustin Joseph Meraz was the youngest child of Trisha and Dave Meraz. An active 10-year-old, he was in the GATE program for gifted children, played baseball, was involved in 4-H, loved to sing, and dreamed of becoming an actor. He was diagnosed on March 29, 2002, and received aggressive treatment for the cancer, including chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. He died March 5, 2003, less than a year after being diagnosed.Locks of Love is a nonprofit organization that uses donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics for financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss (including cancer-related treatments). The prostheses help to restore the children’s’ self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.Locks of Love accepts 10-inch minimum length (tip to tip) of clean, dry hair, bundled into a ponytail or braid. For more information, visit their web site at http://www.locksoflove.org.