BRAVE friends shaved their heads to raise money in memory of a loved one who died from cancer.

Wendy Jones and her close friend Liz Welch shaved their heads on Facebook Live so their friends and family could watch from their screens.

The pair has raised about £3,000 for St Helena Hospice so far, but donations are still pouring in.

St Helena Hospice cared for Wendy’s son Ashley Jones who died from cancer in 2018.

Ash was diagnosed with the disease soon after he, and his wife Victoria, tragically lost their five-month-old son, George, in February 2017.

George had been born with his organs growing outside his body, and despite successful surgery to put them back, he later died in hospital.

While the couple were still grieving, Ashley was diagnosed with cancer.

The former Manningtree High School student was just 31 when he died.

He left behind his wife, Victoria, with whom he lived in Halstead during his final days.

Halstead Gazette:

Mrs Jones, of Harwich Road, Mistley, said: “It felt good to have the shave. People say ‘You’re brave’, but my son was braver.

“Hair, for me, grows back, but my son won’t come back.”

She said the head shave was a real joint effort done in Ash’s memory.

Mrs Jones added: “I had short hair anyway so the head shave took about ten minutes.

“My hubby, Mark, recorded it on Facebook Live.

“I don’t have a clue how long it will take to grow, I just hope it’s not grey again when it does grow...brunette would be nice.”

The duo will be presenting a cheque with the final fundraising amount for St Helena Hospice once the coronavirus crisis has passed.

Mrs Welch, who had been close to Ash most of his life, promised him to shave her head for charity.

She said: “The week before he died we organised a Sunday roast with him. I started chatting to him asking him how he was feeling and he had just had his head shaved.

“I promised him I would continue to fundraise for him and I asked him what I could do to raise money. He told me I should get my head shaved.”

Mrs Welch grew her hair for two years until it was shoulder length before the shave.

She added: “I quite like the look, I feel a bit like Sinead O’Connor.” To donate or find out more about the fundraiser visit bit.ly/2HxSLM0.