Editor’s note: In 2016, we published an article entitled “Beyond the Diamond.” Featuring former SIU-Edwardsville player Allison Hill, the article discussed a recent St. Baldrick’s Foundation charity event in which Allison had taken part and had her head shaved after raising more than $3,500 for children with cancer. Now, nearly two years to the day after that event, Allison looks back on her participation and how it still affects her to this day.
By Allison Hill
There are many different motivations that might cause someone to do something like this: to indulge a family member or friend; having a close connection to the cause; or simply the desire to help kids with cancer. In my case, participating in St. Baldrick’s was a must the moment that I heard about it. On April 29th, 2016, I braved the shave in honor of my sweet cousin, Ella. In doing so, with the help of friends, family and generous strangers, I raised nearly $4,000 for childhood cancer research funding.
One lesson that I wish I would have learned much earlier in life is that giving, generosity, and selflessness are the keys to joy, peace, and overall fulfillment.
In life, most focus too much on what life can give us, rather than what we can give back to life. We are so worried about the return of our actions in lieu of how the beauty of our efforts improve the lives of others. As soon as we master the art of doing things simply because it’s the right thing to do, we are irrefutably growing. As soon as we stop caring solely about ourselves, the world is growing. Our peers are growing. Life is blossoming if we just stop worrying about the return and start focusing on the good that we are providing for others.
With that being said, it doesn’t happen over night. I have come a long way, but I have a very long way to go.
St. Baldrick’s changed my life in many ways.
My hair. My long, beautiful hair that I love so much. I thought I was insane for letting it go. I still hear clippers slicing my first pony tail. It was gone. My family and friends were capturing my moment, all the while overwhelmed with a multitude of emotions. I shut my eyes, and remembered my little cousin Ella losing her hair due to painful cancer treatment. Those recollections made losing my hair more than bearable. They made it WORTH it.
Secondly, and most importantly, St. Baldrick’s changed my heart. It gave me a constant reminder that someone out there has it far worse than I do. Those days I woke up and glared in the mirror, disgusted by what I saw, I was forced to remember there is a child undergoing excruciating treatment, fighting to stay alive. I was forced to remember, because my head was bald, that a child with cancer was receiving much-deserved trials and treatments that they may not have otherwise had. There were moments which forced me into humility; forced me into caring about a higher purpose, something bigger and more important than myself. St. Baldrick’s provided me a platform to become an advocate for pediatric cancer fighters and survivors.
For weeks post-shave, people asked me why I was bald — often. People are blunt and people are rude; however, it gave me a perfect opportunity to turn an uncomfortable moment into a teaching moment.
At the end of the day, it is just hair, but the lesson that came from it is priceless. My experience has been unexplainably humbling and heartwarming.
I had to learn, quickly, that confidence was now a necessity, not an option. Without hair, my face was exposed. At that time, I had lived 22 years hiding behind my hair. After the shave, I had to be okay with the world seeing my face and all of its flaws. If anything comes from this message, I hope that someone has learned the importance of generosity, because it is truly life-changing.
