Helen's Head Shave

Fifteen years ago Helen McGregor lost her life after a 3 year battle with breast cancer. She was diagnosed in 1999, but doctors delayed the mastectomy for three months. By this time the tumour had grown from the size of a marble to the size of a golf ball and had also spread to her lymph nodes. When she finally had the operation, she contracted a flesh eating disease that resulted in more breast having to be removed. She also endured several rounds of chemotherapy over the three years until she passed in June 2003, the day before her 37th birthday.

Many people in the community were affected by her death due to her involvement in the Bream Bay area. She owned the Bream Bay News which unfortunately she had to sell upon becoming sick. The bag piping community was also impacted by her passing, and now honour her with the Helen McGregor Memorial trophy for which pipers from around the world compete annually in Waipu on New Years Eve. At the time of her passing, her three daughters were aged; 14, 11, and 4, with two of them enrolled at the local high school. They also attended highland dancing, and ballet groups in the area.

This year, Helen's daughters and friends are doing a head shave to commemorate her life and to help other women and their families who are affected by breast cancer. All profit raised will be donated to the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation and the hair will be given to the Locks of Love charity.