Warwick mum’s new look to face brave new year

But rather than sitting around waiting for her long brown locks to fall out, the 43-year-old booked an appointment with a Warwick hairdresser.

It waa a chance remark in the playground of her younger daughter’s school that first alerted Karen to The Little Princess Trust, which fashions wigs for children who have already lost their hair as a result of cancer treatments.

She said: “I’ve had long hair for the past 17 or 18 years and thought if it does have to go then at least it can be of benefit to somebody else.

“I was diagnosed with breast cancer in September and had two lots of surgery in October when pathology reports showed I had an aggressive type of tumour that was also affecting my lymph nodes.

“My partner Phil and the children, Lola, aged four, Laura 13 and Sam 16, are all being supportive.

“Of course, Lola doesn’t really know what’s happening but it was the mother of one of her friends at Newburgh Primary that mentioned the Little Princess Trust to me and first gave me the idea.”

The legal secretary from Chase Meadow hopes to carry on working as much as possible between her cycles of chemotherapy, followed by radiotherapy and a year of drugs.

When hairdresser Jade Taylor of Hair Management in Warwick, learned why Karen was having her hair cut the charges were waived.

Meanwhile, Karen says: “Even though it won’t last long, I rather like my new look and when my hair does grow back I might keep it this way.”