Cascade
A four-year-old alopecia sufferer has a head start on her classmates on the first day of school – after getting a flowing mane of blonde locks.
Little Harriet Russell lost all her golden hair suddenly in just under a week when she was two years old.
With the new term looming, Harriet's mum, Emma, 43, was worried her daughter's baldness would set her apart from her classmates.
They contacted a local wig maker who happily provided Harriet with her new head of hair, which will last for a year.
Harriet's dad Paul Russell, 54, told the local newspaper that Harriet had shoulder-length golden hair but that one day in September last year she woke up and it had fallen out over her pillow.
Within a week the youngster's hair had totally gone. Her family have been told by consultants at Burnley General Hospital that there is no cure and that her hair may never grow back.
But now she has the wig, she is so 'excited', said her mum.
"She has been telling everyone that she is going to have new hair," she said.
"She can't wait to put lots of clips in it and have it in all different styles. We were asked what she would like, Harriet said she didn't want a fringe but wanted long light blonde hair with layers at the side. Her sister has long hair and she can't wait to look like her.
"We couldn't have asked for better timing. As a young girl she is starting to get self-conscious about her looks and children at nursery ask why she doesn't have hair."