Sacred Heart student sheds hair for charity

LYNN – The moment of truth finally came for Sacred Heart fifth grader Dustin Costello who finally said goodbye to his eight inches of flowing locks Wednesday, leaving the school gymnasium with a shaved head as a reward for his sacrifice.Costello embarked on a two-year crusade in August 2006, hoping to grow his hair long enough to donate to the Pantene shampoo company, who accepts hair donations for use in making wigs for cancer patients.After already suffering through one hot summer of baseball with an ill-fitting catcher’s mask, and an even tougher football season with a tight helmet, Costello was praying that his hair would reach the required length this month so he would not have to go through that again.In honor of Costello’s sacrifice, Sacred Heart Principal Joanne Eagan organized a school assembly for Wednesday morning, where students, teachers and members of Costello’s family looked on while his stylist, Nicole Cook of Rafael’s in Saugus, did the honors.”Think about it. Having to play football and baseball with all of that equipment on, when it is 95 degrees outside,” said Eagan. “For a boy at 11 to have to let his hair grow like this and have to deal with it all the time is quite a sacrifice.”Costello’s mother, Amy, admitted that she was a little bit disappointed that she would not be able to play with her son’s hair anymore, but as Cook snipped the ponytail off of Dustin’s head and placed it in a baggie, she looked on with pride, snapping pictures.”He didn’t say what I did when I had mine done,” she said, remembering donating her own hair two years ago, which initially inspired Dustin to do the same. “I told her to stop, that I changed my mind.”Complete with a newly shaved head, Costello left the assembly with a humble smile on his face, relieved that his days of living like a girl – at least on the top of his head – were over.