Beverley woman Ema Dixon underwent a charity chop last month which has raised around £5,000 in memory of her much-loved nephew.
Ema incredibly had 24 inches of her locks cut at The Game Bird in Beverley on Saturday 12th February.
She did so in memory of her nephew and former Longcroft School student Riley Ketley, who died on 9th April 2021 aged 15 after being involved in a road traffic collision whilst riding his bicycle on Woodhall Way.
Ema’s hair will be handed over to The Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment and other conditions.
Before he died, Riley was growing his hair to be long enough to cut to donate to The Little Princess Trust.
The evening at The Game Bird also helped to send a fundraising total of around £5,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) courtesy of a raffle, tombola and auction, on top of money donated to Ema’s gofundme page.
YAA were the first to arrive on the scene following the collision and, although they were unable to save Riley’s life, they did enough to enable his parents, Victoria (VJ) and Paul, to spend a few final precious moments with their son.
With Ema not having had her hair cut for around 15 years, which meant it was down to her waist, it was quite a drastic change of look after her hair was cut by her son, Xander, nieces and nephews and VJ.
“My hair hadn’t been properly cut for about 15 years, just the odd trim,” she told Beverley Life.
“It was down to my bum and I actually had 24 inches cut off, even though The Little Princess Trust only need 16 inches.
“Riley was growing his hair to be cut and donated to the charity and also raising money for a newborn intensive care unit in memory of two of his cousins he lost, Nathan and Miles, but sadly never got to do that.
“I’m obviously biased as his auntie, but he was an amazing young man and a great advocate for people his age.
“I had the longest hair in the family, so I took it upon myself to finish what we started.
“The turnout at The Game Bird was incredible and the atmosphere was great.
“The community really came together and I was overwhelmed by the response and generosity of people.
“We have raised around £5,000 for YAA and my sisters and I spent most of the evening in tears.
“YAA were the first on the scene to Riley’s accident and they did everything in their power to save him.
“Even though they ultimately couldn’t, they gave VJ and Paul the chance to spend the last few minutes with Riley.
“A representative from YAA was there on the night and he told me that £5,000 could cover the cost of two take -offs, which could potentially save the lives of two people. To hear that felt amazing.”
Ema admitted that her trim was slightly shorter than anticipated and at first didn’t get approval from everyone.
“My hair was so long that I wasn’t doing anything with it unless I was going out,” she continued.
“As I am self-employed and work at home, I would just tie it up every day, so I thought I might as well give it to someone who will do something with it each day.
“My hair was cut shorter than I anticipated and although I got a few compliments on it, Xander was straight with me and told me he hated it!
“He’s only seven so he tells it exactly how it is.
“I experimented with a few different colours, including pink, which Xander didn’t like as I picked him up from school that day.
“I’ve settled on blonde for now, but I still find myself realising that it is not long anymore and often wonder who I am looking at when I get a glimpse of myself in the mirror.”
Xander has taken inspiration from his mum and cousin and is now growing his hair to be donated too.
“Xander idolised Riley,” said Ema. “Riley used to babysit for him and once Xander found out Riley was growing his hair for The Little Princess Trust, he wanted to do the same and now has the same hairstyle as Riley did.”
The family is hoping to arrange annual fundraisers in Riley’s memory, with Ema hoping to arrange a skydive for herself and VJ.
Riley’s sister, 10-year-old Amelia, has spent time giving talks to fellow pupils about the importance of wearing a helmet whilst riding a bike to help avoid suffering the same fate as her brother.
“Our family owes a lot to YAA and we would like to host annual fundraisers in Riley’s memory,” added Ema.
“He was an adrenaline junkie and planned to join the Royal Marines, so I think adrenaline fuelled challenges will suit, such as a skydive, which will also hopefully cure VJ’s fear of heights!
“The raffle, tombola and auction were very popular last month and I’d like to thank everyone who donated prizes and bought tickets for the evening.
“We had some amazing prizes including a year’s gym membership, free MOT and various hampers.
“The auction made £250 where I donated a teddy from Riley Roo Bear, my business which I created in Riley’s memory for which I make keepsake memory bears.
“A massive thank you to everyone who supported the cause.”
The family got to pay another emotional tribute to Riley by planting a cherry blossom tree close to the scene of the collision on Woodhall Way.
Ema added: “Hopefully Riley’s special tree will be visible for drivers, cyclists and other passers-by to be mindful when going past, as well as discouraging drivers from speeding.
“Most importantly, it is a special place to reflect and to remember an incredible young man.
“Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen.”
Donations can still be made to Ema’s online page at: gofundme.com/f/the-big-wig-slash.
