A promise to a daughter gone too soon: Police officer donates hair for 6th year running

A police officer who lost her young daughter to an acute cerebral hemorrhage has been donating her hair for six consecutive years to honor a promise she made to the girl before she died.

The officer is Lee Hyun-ju, 42, a senior officer with the forensic investigation unit of the North Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency. Her daughter, Song Ji-yun, died in July 2023 at the age of 11. Ji-yun had left for school as usual that day when she suddenly collapsed from an acute cerebral hemorrhage. She was rushed to a hospital but died despite treatment.

Even in the depths of grief, Lee refused to abandon the promise she had made to her daughter.

Long interested in helping others, Lee came across a news report in 2021 about an organization that makes wigs from donated hair. She and Ji-yun, then 9 years old, agreed to donate their hair together.

Lee grew her hair out first and in August of that year donated about 37 centimeters to the Hair Sharing Movement for Young Cancer Patients. Ji-yun's hair was too short to donate at the time, so she began growing it out with the goal of joining her mother for the next donation.

But tragedy struck just one month before that second donation was to take place.

Ji-yun collapsed at school from an acute cerebral hemorrhage. Her hair — grown with such care — was shaved off entirely so she could receive treatment, but she did not survive.

Determined to keep her promise, Lee continued growing her hair alone and donated it twice more — in 2023 and again this year. The total length of hair she has donated now stands at 110 centimeters.

Growing her hair out has not always been easy, but Lee said she never once considered giving up, drawing strength from the memory of her promise to Ji-yun.

"I wanted to keep the promise I made with Ji-yun to the very end," Lee said. "I hope to keep donating for as long as my health allows."