Daughter donates hair in dad’s honor

It’s fairly common for people who have cut their long hair to donate it to Locks of Love – a nonprofit organization that makes prosthetic hair pieces for kids under 21 who have lost their hair due to a medical diagnosis like cancer – but it’s not always common that the person has a specific reason for donating their hair.

Many people hear about the organization and just want to help a child in need, but Russellville resident Jill Hester has a more personal reason for recently donating 10 inches of her hair.

This past September, Hester’s father, Billy Franks, found out during a trip to the emergency room that he had a golf-ball sized tumor in his brain.

“My dad had lost all control of the left side of his body because the tumor was pressing on his brain and his brain was swelling,” Hester said. “The surgeon did a procedure a couple of days later and removed what he could of the tumor but the doctor told us after the procedure that the tumor was malignant and more than likely it started in another part of his body.”

Hester said her father had to start radiation about a month after the removal of the tumor and the radiation lasted for three months. Tests showed a small spot on Franks’ lung where they believed the cancer had originated that eventually formed the tumor in his brain.

“My dad now needs help doing a lot of things and he still might possibly have cancer after all the radiation,” Hester said. “My dad was always somebody who helped others and did everything he could on his own and now he needs help just to be able to get around the house.”

Hester said her dad has never missed one minute of being there for her, so she has no intention of letting him down when he needs her.

“My dad was always there for me during my life – he hardly ever missed a football game at Russellville when I was in the band,” she said. “My dad has always supported me and pushed me through school and I would probably not be in nursing school now if my dad wouldn’t have pushed me to be the best I could be.”

Hester said her support of the Locks of Love organization is something she wanted to do in honor of her father and all he’s gone through since he was diagnosed.

“To some people who experience cancer, losing their hair is a big deal and I just wanted to do something to honor my dad and others who have to go through this aggressive and painful condition,” Hester said. “It is so different when you have your immediate family affected by cancer. It can be devastating, so my prayers go out to all the families affected by cancer and I hope everyone will pray for my dad who is still be affected by cancer.”