WHEN she turned eight years old this week, Tilly Betts didn't ask for dolls, or a new bike, or an iPad.

What she wanted was a haircut, so she could donate her beautiful locks to kids battling cancer.

The Glennie Heights State School student said she had the idea for the donation for some time.

"I'm not really scared to do it, I just want to be able to help the sick people,” she said.

"I don't know anyone else who's cut their hair but I did see a little boy on TV a few months ago who had long hair and he got to donate his hair.

"I haven't really told anyone at school about it, not even my best friend Charlotte.”

Mum Christie Bloomfield said Tilly was excited to donate her long locks.

She said she was surprised by her daughter's generosity.

"Tilly is very keen to give her hair away to charity,” Ms Bloomfield said.

"I think she saw me get my haircut back around my birthday in April and, since then, she's been growing hers out.

"She's had her hair cut before but obviously she wants it even shorter this time and she's got a lot of hair so we thought it would be good to donate it.

"We'd like to get it done in the next couple of weeks if we could but we haven't decided who we would give it to yet.”

Mrs Bloomfield said she hoped a local hairdresser could help the family with Tilly's birthday wish.

"We're hoping someone might read the story and be able to help us out with cutting her hair and sending it on to a charity,” she said.

If you know a hairdresser who can help Tilly with her hair donation, phone the Warwick Daily News on 46601355.