TORONTO – Noah Andrady-Trenton was just seven months old when he took an unexpected trip to SickKids hospital.
The infant had a fall and was being treated for a severe brain injury and brain hemorrhage.
He spent two weeks at SickKids.
“It was touch and go,” said Lori Trenton, Noah’s mother.
“We didn’t know if he was going to make it.”
But the little boy pulled through and now, more than 12 years later, the seventh-grader is paying it forward by growing his hair and donating to the hospital.
“I wanted to give back to SickKids for doing everything they did when I was a baby. So, I felt a need to give them something in return for what they did for me,” Noah said.
Inspired by former Blue Jays player Colby Rasmus, Noah decided to grow his hair.
“At that time, he was my favourite player, so I wanted to be like him. I grew my hair to be like him,” he said.
“After my baseball season I decided I wanted to donate my hair to give back.”
Noah is raising money to give to SickKids and donating his hair to Angel Hair for Kids, a group that provides wigs disadvantaged children in Canada.
St. Gregory Catholic school held an assembly on Friday celebrating the act of kindness and teacher Sam West had the honour of cutting Noah’s hair.
“Noah came to me about a month ago and said that he was ready to cut his hair … I had done it three years ago,” said West.
Noah had asked West to cut his hair, adding she served as a mentor to him.
“Ms. West was always someone I looked up to, to be like when I was older and she donated her hair to Angel Hair in the same gym,” he said.
The school has raised $1,125 to be donated to SickKids, but Noah’s good deeds aren’t stopping there.
The 12-year-old is hoping to inspire others to give back.
“I hope for everyone watching out there, they can do this too,” he said.