Young ME sufferer from Cliffe Woods raises £1,000 with drastic hair cut
by Nicola Jordan
A young woman who has been
bedridden for six years since being struck down with the chronic
fatigue illness ME has raised £1,000 – just by having her hair
cut.
Jessica Taylor, 21, had her locks
shorn to make money for her Share a Star project which aims to
brighten the lives of sick young people.
Jessica launched her charity after
spending years in hospital with the debilitating condition.
She said: “I was admitted to
hospital when I was too weak and all around me there were children
and young people fighting for their lives.
“I just thought there was not enough sparkle, so I wanted to make
it happen.
Jessica added: "The star symbolises
the sparkle of hope.”
When Jessica returned to the family
home in Cliffe Woods she started to work on finding the £5,000
needed to register the charity.
She said: “Everyone in the
community has been very supportive doing sponsored runs and other
things that I am not strong enough physically to do.
"I desperately wanted to have my
input, so I had the idea of having my hair cut.”
Jessica has had her hair long since
she was 13, 
although she suffered some loss through
medication.
She said: “In all I had 50 cms off.
It felt very strange at first, but now I’m used to it.
“The amount of cash it has raised
has exceeded my expectations and I can’t thank everyone enough.
Jessica became ill when she was 14.
Until then, she had been healthy, fit and an academically promising
pupil at Rochester Grammar School.
She said: “I was captain of the
netball team and has been predicted A grades. I had plans to go to
university to study English. I wanted to be a writer.”
But by the time she was 15 Jessica
was too ill to attend school and her mum Kate cared for at their
home in Woodside Green.
Unable to leave her bedroom, she
has released a video named The World of One Room.
She made it originally for her dad
Colin but has had 11,600 views to date.
Go to www.shareastar.org to find
out more.
31/01/13
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