LOCKS OF LOVE

Chris Flanagan reports

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A Thursday trip for one teen wasn't your typical stop at the salon. Then again, Cheyenne Guedea isn't your typical teen.

Cheyenne, 15, hasn't had short hair since she was two years old. But on Thursday, that changed.

The teen was recently diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. In an effort to help children battling her same fight, Cheyenne decided that she would cut off her long locks before cancer robs her of them and then donate the hair to "Locks of Love."

"Someone else is going to feel a little subconscious when their hair falls out," Cheyenne said. "Maybe they won't be as comfortable as I am with it. Maybe it will help them cope with their diagnosis and just hope them feel better about themselves."

Just last year, 3,300 cases of leukemia were diagnosed in Texas, and about 1,420 people died from the illness.

Lisa Perez, Cheyenne's mother, said she wasn't surprised by her daughter's selflessness.

"I'm very proud of her," she said of her daughter. "She has always been that kind of person to think about other people before herself."

Cheyenne is among one of about ten children that are diagnosed with AML every year. Her doctor said attitude is everything.

"When we told her that her hair was going to fall out, her immediate response was, 'Well, I want to give my hair to Locks of Love," said Dr. Tamra Stone, with Children's Medical Center.

Those interested in donating hair need to meet a couple of guidelines and go through some simple steps.

First, a form needs to be filled out. The donator's hair must be at least 10 inches long. Dreadlocks and bleached hair are not accepted.

It takes anywhere from six to ten ponytails to make one wig.