A nine-year-old Katikati student who has grown his hair for three years to donate to people with hair loss will cut his locks in a school fundraiser this Friday.

What makes Gaige Aitchison-Budd’s act so special is that when he decided in 2023 to grow and donate his hair, he had no idea cancer would soon touch his family.

His mother and a close relative were both diagnosed with breast cancer a year later.

The family’s journey touched his Matahui School community so much that it is running a fundraiser to support the Breast Cancer Support Services Tauranga Trust to mark his big haircut.

Gaige’s mother Kristine Aitchison said her son’s 2023 plan to grow his hair came from talking about how beautiful it was “ … and how lovely it would be if he wanted to donate it to somebody experiencing hair loss”.

“He was about 7 at the time … it was just a conversation and I guess it was kind of me wanting [to instil] the values that I want for my children [to practise] in future.”

In November 2024, Aitchison was diagnosed with breast cancer, as was a relative. Aitchison received a mastectomy in late 2024, followed by six months of chemotherapy - which caused her to experience some hair loss.

“I’ve since had radiation treatment and a breast reconstruction. I basically went through a year of treatment in 2025.”

Gaige Aitchison-Budd. Photo / Supplied

Aitchison said she will be monitored by a specialist for the next five years to watch for signs of recurrence. She must also take hormone medication for 10 years. “It’s a very big journey.”

Aitchison said she was “quite scared” to tell Gaige and his younger sister Jade that she had cancer.

“It’s amazing how resilient children are … and I remember Gaige’s classmates wrapping around him for support when I was initially diagnosed.”

School support

Matahui School principal Mary Woods said she was “devastated” to learn of Aitchison’s breast cancer diagnosis, which had a profound effect on the school community.

“With 50 students, we’re a family – every single parent is connected to each other. So, it’s very real."

Aitchison is the school’s marketing contractor and volunteers on the PTA and as a grants administrator.

She was an “integral part of the school,” Woods said.

“When a pillar in your community is injured or broken, you try to make it better – so we did a wrap around.”

Meals and practical support came in oodles.

“There were people who actually came out of the woodwork in this community that I didn’t expect it from,” Aitchison said.

She said the school’s senior students ran an annual fundraiser to work towards their leadership goals, “so we decided to make Gaige’s haircut part of the fundraiser”.

Gaige said his mum meant “everything” in his life.

He wanted to cut his hair as short as possible so he could donate as much hair as possible to someone with hair loss.

His light brown hair has grown well past his shoulders.

“It’s pretty special to be giving it to someone else ‘cause I know the feeling of cutting it off,” the Year 4 student said.

“Cutting my hair, I have a feeling that I’m getting the same feeling as them, but for them it’s permanent.”

Gaige, who loves handwriting and forest school at Matahui and playing soccer, said the most challenging thing about having long hair was brushing it, “and getting the knots”.

Gaige Aitchison-Budd, centre, with school mates, Lucan, left, and William, right, ready for their school’s fundraiser on Friday. Photo / Merle Cave

While he felt nervous about his haircut – “it’s just been so long” – he was looking forward to his school’s fundraiser.

Aitchison and her partner said Gaige had always stepped up as a leader.

“When I was going through treatment, he picked up roles for his sister. If I wasn’t feeling well, he’d make sure she was looked after. There’d be times when he said, ‘Mum, Jade is upset, you need to have talk with her’. He’s quite an empathetic child.”

Trust’s ‘amazing’ support

The school chose to fundraise for the breast cancer trust because the service had supported Aitchison through her cancer journey.

“When I got diagnosed, one of their staff members, Mel – she was amazing. She was so easy to talk to and made me feel so comfortable.”

Aitchison said the trust gave breast cancer families vital on-the-ground practical support.

She had learned the service was tight on funds and not government-funded.

“They offer things like petrol vouchers and food. They run local support groups where you meet others who’ve been through the same journey as you. All of this is really valuable stuff to have locally.”

Aitchison said she had also learned that breast cancer was more prevalent than she realised.

“Nurses at the hospital said they see a new woman diagnosed every second week. Then there’s Facebook forums you can join – there are thousands and thousands and thousands of women in those forums that are affected by it. It’s huge.”

‘So proud of Gaige’

Aitchison was “so proud of Gaige”, saying completing a three-year goal was a big deal for a person of his age.

“It’s a lot of perseverance, and it hasn’t been an easy thing for a boy to have long hair … people have called him a girl and told him to cut his hair and he’s had to explain, ‘well, I’m doing this for a good reason … ’."

Gaige had been emotional ahead of his haircut, Aitchison said, possibly because he had realised that hair was part of a person’s identity.

“I guess he’s experiencing maybe what others who’ve experienced hair loss or what I experienced, felt.

“He said to me, ‘Well, me cutting my hair is only benefiting one person, mum’, but what it does is it allows us to have these bigger conversations.

“I said to him, ‘It’s not – look at what else it’s done. It’s allowed your peers to run a fundraiser which helps them work towards leadership badges they want to earn, it’s helping raise awareness of this cause, it’s helping raise funds for a really amazing organisation – it’s a bigger thing than just a haircut’.

Nine-year-old Gaige Aitchison-Budd with his mother Kristine Aitchison at Matahui School. Photo / Merle Cave

“So, for him, it’s a learning experience, but for me it’s about helping my children develop into the people that I want them to become – and the reason we’re having it at Matahui School is because Matahui has a really strong values programme of empathy, courage and perseverance.

“It’s quite integrated into the curriculum and so it aligns really well with that.”

Woods said the school’s 50 Year 0-8 students, teachers and wider community would participate in the fundraiser.

Senior students were writing recipes to bake for Friday’s bake sale.

“They’re doing their own baking because they themselves – every one of those kids knows someone that’s been affected by cancer,” Woods said.

“Empathy is what we’re fostering. It’s about the ability to think about somebody else’s journey and walk in their shoes.”

All students would dress up in pink and be ready for Gaige to reveal his new haircut in the way he chooses, Woods said.

“We might have a countdown for him, we’re not sure yet,” said Aitchison.

He planned to provide his ponytail to Dunedin-based Freedom Hair, which will make a wig from it for someone experiencing long-term hair loss.

The organisation has strict rules for hair, including it being untreated and at least 38cm long.

Tough times for trust

Breast Cancer Support Service Tauranga Trust fundraising co-ordinator Tracey Phizacklea said the trust has never had a child cut for a cause on their behalf before.

“What Gaige is doing is so admirable. He’s amazing – it’s a lot of dedication [to grow your hair for three years] and so thoughtful because he was doing it off his own bat without having his mum going through the service.

“I just found that story incredibly touching,” Phizacklea said.

“We are incredibly grateful to him and his school community for their support.”

Phizacklea said the trust was an independent local charity funded by grants and donations.

“So anyone that goes out and fundraises on our behalf we’re very grateful for because times are tough, and what we do – not every region in the country has a local support service."

The trust supported about 330 women and men every year.

Phizacklea said the support was throughout every stage of their breast cancer journey, offering practical, emotional and deeply personal care.

“We provide this support across the Western Bay of Plenty, from Waihī Beach to Maketū, ensuring people can access trusted, local care close to home when they need it most.

“We understand that no two experiences of breast cancer are the same. That’s why our support is tailored to meet individual needs, ensuring each person feels seen, heard, and supported in the way that works best for them.”

Funds raised for the trust were spent on caring for local residents.

Phizacklea said some people have a harder time than others.

“We have support workers who’ve had breast cancer themselves, so they emotionally support; but we also fund counselling or psychology, metastatic and lymphatic massages; we provide meals and fuel vouchers because a lot of people really struggle financially because they can’t work full time anymore.”

Woods said there was respect across the whole school for what Gaige was doing. “Even the seniors are in awe of him.”

To support the fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Support Service Tauranga Trust, visit: givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/gaige-is-cutting-for-a-cause-at-matahui-school