Leukaemia survivor helps shave heads as part of Bunbury Senior High Schools World’s Greatest Shave Challenge

Brooke Walton was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia only two days after her third birthday, and spent the first couple years of her young life in and out of hospital for chemotherapy treatment. Last week, she watched students and teachers from her school shave their heads as part of a fundraiser in the fight against leukaemia. Four students and five teachers from Bunbury Senior High School braved bravely participated in the global fundraising movement the World’s Greatest Shave raising money for the Leukaemia Foundation. Brooke along with her grandmother Judi Walton shared their story with the Bunbury Herald. “It’s started off with something as simple as a sore leg,” Ms Walton said. “Her aunty got on to it and said ‘no, that should be something to be seen to’, and she had a dose of antibiotics in hospital and then went home.” “After a couple of weeks, things didn’t feel right and the hospital called and her blood tests showed it was acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. “She had six months in hospital and stayed in Ronald McDonald House with her mother, and her other grandparents came to look after her siblings and her father while he was working full time. “She had to go back quite often for checks and more treatment.” Brooke said: “They stopped giving me treatment when I was five.” Brooke had the challenge of shaving the head of her science teacher, Cathy Watson, who also had a personal connection to the cause. “My five-year-old nephew Gus, he also has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia like Brooke did,” Ms Watson said. “He has just gone through his intensive stage of chemotherapy so he has just lost all his hair and he is in maintenance mode at the moment receiving chemo every month. “I don’t think it’s that brave to shave your head, compared to what Gus is going through I just wanted to support him and his family. “His mum and his dad have shaved their heads, his little sister wants to but she is only two.” “I think the Greatest Shave is a great symbol and it gets the conversation happening with kids about not knowing some things you can’t see and not knowing the fights some people have gone through,” she said. “When I learnt about Brooke’s story, it gave me a lot of hope that Gus will be OK and he will get through it.” Brooke said she feels proud that her school is supporting the cause. “I’m happy that everyone is getting involved and doing it for everyone who has gone through what I went through,” she said. The World’s Greatest Shave runs from March 16 to March 20, with the opportunity to register as an individual, school or organisation. This year marks 24 years of the fundraising project, and the foundation has already raised more than $8 million globally for the cause. Local hairdresser Leo Gaudio donated his time during the recess break to shave three teachers’ heads and assist Brooke with the shave.