There were times Gowri Glasson didn’t know how her family would make it through.
Illness hit her, then her husband, all the while managing the demands of family life with limited support.
Far from extended family, they sailed through crisis after crisis on their own.
But just when things felt impossible, help came, sometimes from strangers, sometimes from unexpected friends.
“It felt like invisible hands holding us up,” she stated.
Now, the local mother, therapist and advocate is preparing to give something back…. something very personal.
She’s planning to shave her head and donate her long hair to the ‘Wigs4Kids’ program under the Children’s Cancer Foundation.
She’s also raising $3,000 to help fund the cost of turning her hair into a custom wig for a child with cancer.
Asides it being her culture’s tradition as a way of showing gratitude, she also wanted a chance to direct her sacrifice into something tangible…. a gift for a child with cancer.
“I wanted it to be something meaningful. I wanted to see the impact. Donating it here means it can help someone directly; a child who’s lost their joy, who’s been through their own battle,” Gowri said.
That child, in Gowri’s heart, has a name: Jude.
He is the young son of a friend in the United States, currently undergoing treatment for leukemia. When Jude’s mother, strong and never one to ask for help, posted publicly for the first time, asking people to raise awareness of childhood cancer, Gowri saw her sign.
“Her story really moved me. And even though my hair or money may never reach Jude, I thought, maybe it will help a child like him.”
So far, Gowri has set up an official fundraising page through ‘Wigs4Kids’, with a goal of $3,000, just above the $2,750 it takes to create one wig for a child.
That cost was another surprise for her.
“They’re getting my hair for free. But the process of turning it into a usable wig is expensive. When I found out, I thought, well, if I’m doing this, I want to do it properly. I want to raise the money too.”
Yet behind the public campaign, there is a much more personal mission…. challenging how society sees autism, disability and value.
Gowri, a late diagnosed Autistic – ADHDer, said, “There’s this idea that autistic people lack empathy or don’t think about others, but that’s not true. Many of us feel things so deeply. My clients, who are young autistic kids, were so worried at first about me shaving my hair. I had to slowly help them understand. I showed them where the hair was going, who it would help, and why it matters.”
Through this, she discovered something profound.
The children began asking questions about cancer, about food, health, and giving back. Some even wanted to know how they could help too.
“It’s proof of how capable and compassionate they are when given the chance. These are children who are often sidelined or underestimated. But they have so much to give,” she said.
She added that is the purpose of her work.
“People often assume autistic kids can’t connect with the outside world. That we don’t care. But my clients proved otherwise. They have so much empathy. They just need adults who believe in them, and model it for them.”
Through this campaign, Gowri also wants to break stereotypes that cast people with disabilities as burdens.
“Some people think we only take from the system. But many of us are working, raising children, contributing….all while managing disabilities. We don’t need pity. We need equity. And the chance to show what we’re capable of.”
She points out that shaving her hair is no small feat for someone with sensory sensitivities.
Gowri stated the texture, the sound, and the physical change can be overwhelming.
But she’s doing it anyway. Not just for a child with cancer. Not just for Jude. But for the neurodivergent kids watching her, learning from her, growing with her.
“My hope is that they see they can give too. That they are not less. That one day, they’ll find their own way to pay it forward.”
You can support Gowri’s fundraising campaign or learn more by visiting: https://fundraise.kidswithcancer.org.au/fundraisers/gowriglasson/wigs-4-kids
