I AM NOT MY HAIR
BY MARCIA DIXON MBE
6-year-old writes book about alopecia
D
elena Thompson is a six-year-old girl, aiming to spread some love and light during this winter season. This London schoolgirl, the eldest of three siblings, has just released her debut book, ‘I Am Not My Hair’. Published by BlackJak Media, the only company in Europe specialising in publishing books written by Black children, I Am Not My Hair is the true-life story of Delena’s journey with hair loss. There was great excitement in the Thompson household when Delena received the hard copies of her book. Her family, including grandparents, celebrated along with her. Delena was even asked to autograph copies of her book that people had bought. She got caught up in the excitement, and when things had calmed down a little, Delena went and sat in her mother’s lap and told her: “I’m so proud of myself.” And so she should be. Delena suffers from alopecia – the medical term for hair loss. She was just four when she was diagnosed with the condition. Alopecia is more commonly associated with adults and can be caused by stress, poor diet and even certain hairstyles. Her mother, Telena Longman, a nursery manager, explained: “Alopecia wasn’t something I was aware of until my daughter was diagnosed with it.” “(Delena) had been sick for a month. She was having constant headaches, and her body always seemed to be aching. She did get better, but then we noted she had a coined-size patch on her scalp. We then started to find more patches and, by the time her brother was born, Delena’s hair was matting together. The doctors said there was nothing more they could do and advised us to cut off her hair.” When the day came for Delena to get her hair cut, she told her mum: “I’m not going to be beautiful without hair.”
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