She Saved Her Wedding Day Braid for 61 Years. At 82, She Donated It to Cancer Patients

Ruth Bauer, 82, recently made a deeply moving decision that connected her wedding day from decades ago to a powerful act of kindness today.

Sixty one years ago, just days before her wedding, Ruth cut off her long braid and tucked it away in a drawer at home. She never imagined it would resurface. Recently, while packing her belongings ahead of a move to assisted living, she came across it once again.
“I didn’t think there was anything left of it,” she told ynet. “My daughter said it could be made into a wig for cancer patients. I was so happy for the chance to do a mitzvah. It felt like a belated wedding gift.”

A Growing Circle of Giving

Over the past year, thousands of braids have been donated to Zichron Menachem, an organization that supports children and teens coping with cancer. The donated hair is processed so that every seven braids can be turned into a wig for patients who have lost their hair during chemotherapy.

Jerusalem has led the way in donations. In the past year alone, 1,883 braids were donated there.

Even the Youngest Are Taking Part

According to the organization’s data, 278 of the donors in Israel were just three years old. These were children receiving their very first haircut, with parents choosing to donate the hair to help cancer patients.

One of them was three year old Lavi Va’anunu. His mother explained, “It’s a mitzvah. We waited until he had 30 centimeters to donate. We measured his hair every day. Because of Lavi, his older sister also decided to donate.”

Turning a First Haircut Into a Dream

Among last year’s donors were 811 young girls. One of them, twelve year old Tamar, shared her excitement. “I hardly ever had haircuts. From a young age, I knew my first one would be special, so I decided to donate my hair. For me, it was a dream come true. A friend of mine said she would donate because of me, too.”

The donations are part of the “Braid of Strength” project, a joint initiative of Pantene and Zichron Menachem.

More Than Just Hair

Chaim Erenthal, chairman of Zichron Menachem and an Israel Prize laureate, explains that while a wig does not cure cancer, it can make a profound difference.
“For thousands of women, losing their hair is no less difficult than coping with the illness itself,” he said. “A wig gives strength and dignity, and helps women keep fighting. It’s not just a slogan. Your braid is her strength.”