Dreadlocks help push cancer fund raiser to $16k

Congratulations to Tristan Rogers who has had his dreadlocks of seven years shaved to boost the GoFundMe campaign for teenage friend, Merrick Edleston, who is battling cancer.

Tristan’s amazing gesture has helped push the amount of funds raised to close to $16,000, to assist Merrick and his family during such a challenging period in their lives.

The cascade of dreadlocks met their demise at Branded Burgers and Bar, Seville on Sunday 28 March with the event live-streamed to sixteen-year-old Merrick who has been in hospital for treatment for his acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and was unable to attend.

Í decided to have my dreadlocks shaved because it was something I could do to help, given all that Merrick is going through, as well as his family,’ said Tristan, 21 who is coordinator of Cire’s Out of School Hours program at Badger Creek Primary School.

Branded Burgers also rallied, donating $2,600 from its takings to the campaign.

For those interested in supporting the campaign that ends on Easter Sunday, please click here to visit the GoFundMe page.

AML is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. It is a group of leukaemias that develop in the myeloid cell line in the bone marrow. Myeloid cells are red blood cells, platelets and all white blood cells excluding lymphocytes.
AML is fairly rare with about 900 people diagnosed in Australia each year, accounting for 0.8% of all cancers diagnosed and at a rate of 3.7 per 100,000 of population.

Pictured: A new look Tristan with his very proud great grandmother Leila Woods from Croydon.