Thirteen-year-old Henry from Warrington will shave his head on 8 October to raise funds for St Rocco's Hospice, which is supporting his mother Sarah, 43, who has stage four bowel cancer. Sarah has undergone multiple surgeries, a stoma procedure, chemotherapy and HIPEC, and is now receiving palliative care. Henry — classed as a young carer — chose the head shave in solidarity after nurses warned his mother she might lose her hair. He has already raised more than £1,000 to help the hospice continue its work.
13-Year-Old Shaves Head In Solidarity To Raise Funds For Hospice Supporting His Mum
Henry's head shave fundraiser will take place at his scout group meeting [Handout]
Thirteen-year-old Henry, from Warrington in Cheshire, will have his head shaved on 8 October to raise money for St Rocco's Hospice, which is providing palliative care and wider support to his mother, Sarah, 43, after a diagnosis of bowel cancer about 18 months ago.
Henry said:
"She has had multiple operations which were unsuccessful and she is now on palliative treatment to prolong her life."
He added:
"In the last few months St Rocco's has helped my mum to come to terms with this and will be more help in the future. With this in mind I want to raise money to help support them in continuing to provide the support and care to others like they have my mum."
Sarah says Henry is "such a caring loving young man" who makes her laugh every day with his great sense of humour [Handout]
Sarah described her son as "an amazing boy" and "such a caring, loving young man". She said Henry is classed as a young carer because he helps at home when she is not feeling well, and that his humour and energy help to lift the family's spirits.
Sarah explained she was first diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer in March 2025. She had a stoma fitted and underwent chemotherapy, which did not produce the desired outcome. Doctors later found cancer had spread to surrounding organs; she then had surgery at the Christie Hospital in Manchester followed by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), a heated chemotherapy procedure used for some cancers affecting the peritoneum.
Recent scans in March this year revealed several nodes clinicians described as inoperable, and her treatment focus has shifted to prolonging life rather than curing the disease, Sarah said.
Henry is raising money for St Rocco's Hospice which is supporting his mum Sarah [Handout]
The family chose St Rocco's Hospice for Henry's fundraiser because Sarah has received support there in recent months, including complementary therapies and wider family support. Sarah said hospice staff and volunteers have been "an amazing help" and a valuable resource for people across Warrington and the surrounding area.
Henry came up with the idea to shave his head to show solidarity after nurses warned Sarah she might lose her hair during treatment. "He said he would shave his head when I lost my hair so I wasn't the only one who was bald in the family," she said. Although Sarah has experienced some hair loss that is not highly visible, Henry decided to go ahead with the head shave to support her and the hospice.
Henry's head shave is scheduled for 8 October and he has already raised more than £1,000 for St Rocco's Hospice. Sarah said the outpouring of support from family, friends and the wider community has "blown me away".
How To Help
If you'd like to support Henry's fundraiser or learn more about St Rocco's Hospice and the services they offer to patients and families, check the hospice's official donation pages or community appeals. Local events and fundraisers like Henry's play an important role in sustaining hospice care and support services.
More About Young Carers
Young carers like Henry often take on responsibilities at home when a parent is ill. Support groups, school guidance staff and local charities can provide practical and emotional help for children balancing caregiving duties with education and social life.
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