A girl who has been given her wish to walk after a £65,000 life-changing operation is having her hair cut to help her friend who needs the same procedure.

After people came forward to help Scarlett Hewitt and her family raise the money in just three months last year, she and her sister Sienna have come up with a fundraising idea.

They are both being sponsored to have their hair cut into a bob, with all the money they raise going to their friend Malachi Reid.

And their hair will be donated to make wigs for children who have lost their hair because of cancer.

Malachi needs to raise £80,000 so he can fly to the United States for pioneering surgery to alleviate his cerebral palsy.

At the St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri he will have an operation to reduce the spasticity in his legs and enable him to walk unaided.

This is the same operation as Scarlett, who also has cerebral palsy, had last autumn.

She is now undergoing intensive physiotherapy so she will eventually be able to walk unaided.

Nine-year-old Scarlett said: “We wanted to raise money and we wanted to donate the hair to children with cancer because other people helped me.

“[When I told Malachi] he said thank you and he was really excited.”

Her mother Lisa, of Uvedale Crescent, New Addington, said: “So many people helped her out with her fundraising and, with Malachi being her friend, both of the girls wanted to do something to raise money.

“You do not expect children to come out with things like that and it was quite touching.

“I’m so proud of them for wanting to do this.”

Malachi’s mum Coleen, 41, of Kennelwood Crescent, New Addington, said: “When they said they were going to cut their hair I thought that was wonderful.

“Malachi was taken aback and overwhelmed that they wanted to cut their hair to support him.”

Go to www.justgiving.com/malachisonlywish to donate to Malachi’s appeal or www.justgiving.com/lisa-hewitt3 to help Scarlett and Sienna reach their £1,000 target.