CHENNAI: Thirteen-year-old VS Yadhukrishnan, a Class 8 student of a city school, is no ordinary boy. Three years ago he took a pledge, of growing his hair long enough to donate to cancer patients. Now his hair has grown up to 36 cm long. The journey that started almost three years ago for Yadhukrishnan was not an easy one, but an inspiration for all.

Explaining why he took this step, Yadhukrishnan said, “One day, I saw my mother, Sreeja, watching a video on her phone. When I asked her about the girl on the video looking sad and with barely any hair on her head, my mother told me that she was undergoing cancer treatment.” That shook him up so much that he decided to learn everything he could about the disease and the various treatments patients undergo in the process, including chemotherapy, which result in tremendous hair loss.

Sreeja told DT Next that once Yadhukrishnan understood what cancer involves, he asked her if he could grow his hair to donate to such patients. “I was very happy with his decision, after all it was for a noble cause. Having said that, what I truly feel proud about is, his determination to donate hair despite the bullying and humiliation he faced from friends and strangers at such a young age,” she said.

Sreeja added that there were times when Yadhukrishnan was mistaken for a girl. “During one incident in Hampi, a shopkeeper mistook him for a girl and started showing him girl’s footwear. He was also called a transperson by his friends,” she said. Yadhukrishnan is currently taking online classes after the principal insisted that he donate the hair before starting regular classes.

“Two years ago I used to feel awkward about the teasing. However, now, I have developed a ‘never mind attitude’. I will continue to do such tasks in the future even if I have to endure constant criticisms from people,” Yadhukrishnan said.

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