Carluke teenager's gift for a child with cancer

And on Thursday, she had 12 inches cut off her long hair to be turned into a wig for a little girl suffering from cancer.

“It is a big thing for Melissa,” said her father Steven beforehand.

“Her hair is pretty precious to her.

“She gets compliments about her hair because it is so long, and she thought this would be something she could do to make someone else happy.”

Melissa, 15, decided to give her hair to the Little Princess Trust, a charity providing wigs for youngsters who have lost their own hair because of chemotherapy, after seeing a television programme about children with cancer.

At Lush in Carluke High Street after school on Thursday, her waist-length hair was gathered into one long plait, then cut off.

“It is taking a bit of getting used to, but she is delighted,” said her father.

“It is a big difference for her, but she is very pleased she has done it.

“She is pleased at the contribution she has made, and how happy someone else will be to have her hair.”

The Little Princess Trust asks for hair to make wigs, and it has given out more than 4,000 over the years.

It costs around £350 to make each wig, and Melissa decided to raise funds for that too.

Lush styled her hair as a donation to the cause, and a Just Giving page Melissa set up had raised £366 by this week, well over double the £150 target she had set.

On her donations page, she wrote: “Cancer is a horrible disease, and though I cannot cure it, I would love it if I could play a part in making at least one girl feel more confident within herself during this battle by giving her the hair that I do not need.

“I am incredibly lucky and fortunate to have the life that I do, and I am so excited to help an already-beautiful, inspiring girl feel good about herself.”

Donations can still be made on Melissa’s page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Melissa-Smillie