Chesterfield daughter shaves head for mum diagnosed with cancer ahead of Mother’s Day

Maria Coates, 54, was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer at Christmas and told she would need to undergo chemotherapy.

When Maria, of Chesterfield, started to lose her hair, daughter Sophie, 25, alongside friend Emma Ashmore, who lost her mum to cancer a few years ago, decided to shave their heads to show their support.

Sophie said: “As soon as mum got diagnosed, I knew if she had to have chemo, I’d shave my head. I also wanted to do something to support Macmillan who have been amazing. When I told her what I was going to do, we both just cried. We’re really close so it’s been hard to see her go through chemotherapy. Shaving my head was something small I could do to show her how much I love her.”

Maria, Sophie and their family have been supported by the team in the Macmillan Information and Support Centre at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

Sophie said: “From the get go, Macmillan were amazing. Straight away, before we’d even seen the consultant, we went to the Macmillan unit. The support we received that day was amazing. They covered everything. They gave us loads of information, asked how we were feeling, talked to us about wigs and financial support. And it wasn’t just support for mum, it was for the whole family. On some days she has struggled with getting her head around everything, and knowing the support was there from Macmillan has really helped.”

Sophie and Emma have raised an incredible £2,485 for Macmillan through their ‘Brave the shave’ and donations are still coming in.

Hannah Lumb, Macmillan Fundraising Manager for Derbyshire, said: “We are so grateful to Sophie and Emma for ‘braving the shave’ to support people living with cancer. Every penny raised helps us to fund vital local cancer services so we can be there from the moment of diagnosis, for the growing number of people who need us.”

You can support Sophie and Emma by making a donation on their Just Giving pages.