A teenage girl put her vanity to one side to help raise money for a poorly Island child.

Friends and family looked on as Kirsten Johnson had her shoulder length locks chopped off at Blonde Moments salon, Vincent Gardens, Sheerness, on Saturday.

Mum Layla Coomber, 36, cut the first of four plaits before handing the scissors over to hairdresser Karen Packer who completed the look with a number one all over.

At an age when most young girls are conscious of their looks, the 16-year-old decided to make the ultimate sacrifice to help boost funds for Ezmae Catley who is the cousin of her half brother Dominic, nine.

The two-year-old suffers from epilepsy and dystonia – a neurological disorder that causes frequent muscle contractions.

Since being diagnosed aged six months, her family has been fundraising for various equipment she will need for the rest of her life, including a wheelchair that could cost up to £2,000.

The Canterbury College student’s ‘bald’ decision raised £620 in sponsorship – her hair will go to the Little Princess Trust, a charity which makes wigs for children who are battling cancer.

Kirsten, of Tribune Court, Sheerness, said: “I was going to do something sporty to start with but I’m not very good at sport so because I’ve always had long hair I thought about cutting it short then I thought I might as well get rid of it all!

“It was quite scary watching it come off. My mum cried. It was overwhelming and a very surreal feeling.

“I was really surprised at how it looked once it was done. It is a bit cold. I wore a beanie hat to bed the night I had it done.

“Quite a lot of people have said they like it. I might keep it for a while.”

Ezmae’s mum Claire Morrish said: “I was gobsmacked when she suggested it a year ago and I thought, ‘she’s young she’ll change her mind’, but she kept saying, ‘I’m definitely going to do it’.

“And for someone of her age to go through with something like that is just fantastic.

“She looks stunning.”

To donate, visit www.paypal.co.uk and then send money to kirsten.v.johnson@gmail.com