Eastbourne five-year-old chops off long locks to raise money for her tiny baby cousin born at just 24 weeks

Zea Christou is from Eastbourne and has ben growing her hair for the Little Princess Trust for the past year. However, when her cousin Blake was born in January and needed treatment she decided to raise money for him too. Blake was born on January 19 at 24 weeks after his mother Amber was hospitalised with pre-eclampsia.

He weighed just 550grams/1.2lb and was only 33cm long.

Christos Christou, Rea’s proud dad, said, “He has already had to undergo numerous blood and platelet transfusions, he has had a bleed on the brain, a lung infection and a hernia operation but he is still fighting every day to be here.”

Blake and his parents live in Johannesburg. There is no NHS equivalent and although they have private medical cover, not all the treatment he needs is included.

Zea is having her hair cut on April 20 and there will be a cake sale and raffle at her dad’s workplace Lawson Lewis Blakers in Hyde Gardens.

Money raised will help Blake and the hair will make wigs for young cancer sufferers.