Brave Waddesdon teenager shaving her hair off for charity after her dad is diagnosed with inoperable brain tumour

A teenager from Waddesdon is shaving her hair off for charity after receiving the news that her dad has an inoperable brain tumour.

Charlotte Bullivant, 16, received the devastating news about her father Ian earlier this month - the week of her GCSE mock exams.

She said: “Dad has had a small tumour behind his right eye for the last 20 years, which before I was born took his right eye and he left him with a prosthetic eye.

“When I was 13 my dad underwent what we thought would be his final surgery to remove tissues surrounding his tumour to ensure that it would not come back again.

“But last November my dad started to experience more serious symptoms such as nosebleeds, headaches and dizziness.

“After weeks of tests and meetings in hospitals we were hit by the news that the tumour had not only returned but was going to kill him.”

Charlotte has long blonde hair and after hearing the devastating news about her father, took the decision to have it all cut off in aid of charity and give it to the Little Princess Trust.

She said: “I cut my hair short a few years ago and I hated it!”

However she wanted to do more and has organised an event at her dad’s local pub The Red Lion on Saturday March 10 to coincide with the charity chop.

She said: “I will be having my haircut then and because I have exceeded my £2,000 target my dad will shave his hair off as well.

“We are holding an auction with some great prizes including GT racing tickets, family entry passes and a tombola.

“We will then have live music and a disco - it is a party in the face of cancer because we have to live every moment of life to the full.”

The tumour affecting Ian’s brain is now 6cm x 8cm and absorbing a third of his skull capacity.

Charlotte said: “He is losing weight and sleeping much more.

“He doesn’t feel ill but it is hard for us because we can see it happening gradually.”

Charlotte, a pupil at Waddesdon School, and who is due to sit her exams in the summer, explained that she has a very close relationship with her dad.

She said: “We always have a project that we work on together - recently we have been tracing our family history on my dad’s side.

“There is nothing we couldn’t talk about because we are very close.”

So far Charlotte has raised £2,375 for Cancer Research UK but she is hoping to raise a lot more.

To donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/charlotte-bullivant