Monash student loses locks for good cause
Jessica Dean
A Bendigo-based medical student has shaved off her waist-length blonde dreadlocks to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation as part of the World’s Greatest Shave.
Jessica Dean, a third-year medicine and law student, adopted dreadlocks while spending six months as a volunteer paramedic in the arid desert in the south of Israel four years ago.
“People have hated them, strangers have spoken to me on public transport because of them,” Jessica said.
“Either way I have loved these dreads for the last four years, so what better way for them to go than to sacrifice them for a great cause?”
Director of the Bendigo Regional Clinical School, Professor Geoff Solarsh, said Jessica’s plans to shave off her dreadlocks had posed some tricky logistical problems.
“None of our staff were willing to tackle the job for fear of hurting Jessica, so we called on friends to help,” said Professor Solarsh.
“A professional hairdresser, Tracy, volunteered her time to come and support Jessica’s fund raising efforts.”
Jessica aimed to raise over $1500 but has now raised close to $2000. Donations can still be made on the World’s Greatest Shave website.
Originally from Melbourne, Jessica is spending the year with the Bendigo Regional Clinical School for her first year of clinical training.