Matthew marks mum's anniversary by 'braving the shave' for Macmillan Cancer Support

Matthew McAllister, who works at Bushmills Distillery during the summer, had been growing his hair for two years.

He decided to have his hair and beard cut by hairdresser Sharon Scott at the distillery on Saturday which, no doubt, was of interest to the summer visitors at the whiskey tours.

Matthew commented: “Everyone has been affected by cancer, and knows someone they have lost, or has at least been affected by cancer in some way.

"My family has been affected by it greatly. My grandparents, aunts and uncles all lost their lives to cancer in the last few years.

“For myself it was the loss of my mother, Stephanie, who died in 2021 when I was 18, that affected me the most.

“She loved her hair and was very upset when she started to lose it.

“After my mum passed, I made the decision to grow my hair out and to donate it to the Little Princesses Trust, so at least someone would be less upset if they lost their hair to cancer treatment.

“I decided to support Macmillan because they made the end of my mum’s life as comfortable as possible, and genuinely cared for her.

“My family will always be thankful for them and the work they do, so please support me in supporting them in any way you can.”

Matthew would like to thank to all of his friends and family who have supported his ‘brave the shave’ for MacMillan Cancer Support.

The incredible amount of over £5,000 has been donated so far, with donations still coming in.

Matthew’s lovely long hair will now be sent to the Little Princess Trust to support cancer patients.