Nine-year-old Otto Watt returned to school this week with a fresh buzz cut, noticeably feeling the chill of the autumn morning as he waited for the bus. For the past two years, Otto’s bright red hair had grown long, providing warmth to his head, neck, and back. But this month, he decided to make a generous donation of his hair to help children suffering from hair loss due to cancer and other medical conditions.
Otto first learned about the idea of donating hair while attending Moretown Elementary School as a third-grader. After hearing about children who lose their hair due to illness, he shared the idea with his mother, Maryanne Watt. She encouraged him, suggesting his vibrant red hair would make a wonderful wig for a child in need. Motivated by this, Otto made the decision not to cut his hair for the next two years.
On September 29, Otto’s dedication paid off when his hair was cut and donated to Children With Hair Loss, a nonprofit organization that provides wigs to children. Despite his preference for keeping his hair short, Otto let it grow without restraint over the two-year period, never tying it back.
“I only used my hand to push it away while it was growing,” Otto explained.
When it came time for the big cut, Otto’s father, Jeff Watt, prepared his hair by sectioning it into ponytails, ensuring it could be cut as close to the scalp as possible. This technique also maximized the length of the hair strands, which would be used to make wigs. After the initial snips with scissors, Jeff used clippers to complete Otto’s buzz cut.
When asked why he decided to grow and donate his hair, Otto replied thoughtfully, “I think a kid would really like my orange hair, especially how it’s naturally bleached by the sun.”
With his buzz cut complete, Otto is already thinking ahead. He plans to grow his hair out again for another donation, and his younger sister is now considering following in his footsteps. Though she isn’t keen on getting a buzz cut, she intends to grow her hair a bit longer before making her own contribution to the cause.
