Isle Of Wight Mum And Teacher Raises Thousands For Cancer Charities With Brave Head Shave Challenge

An Isle of Wight mum and primary school teacher has turned her breast cancer diagnosis into a mission to help others — by raising thousands for the charities that have supported her.

Claire Loizos, a science teacher at Gurnard Primary School and mum of two from Freshwater, was recently diagnosed with stage two, grade three breast cancer — an aggressive form of the disease requiring 20 weeks of chemotherapy.

Since her diagnosis, Claire has received support from several organisations including Wessex Cancer Care, Applegate, Little Lifts, and Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer.

Now, she’s determined to give back by fundraising for the same charities — with a brave and light-hearted twist.

Claire has pledged to let her children shave her head once she hits her fundraising target, and is inviting donors to suggest creative hairstyles along the way.

“If I’m gonna lose my hair, I may as well make the most of it and let my kids have a bit of fun too,” Claire said.

“Once I hit £200 I’ll let my kids shave it, with the money raised shared between the four charities who’ve already given me such kindness.

"If anyone wants to donate and suggest hairstyles before it all comes off — I’m sure a mohican or other ideas will look awesome on me!”

Her positive spirit and humour have struck a chord with the local community, with the fundraiser already bringing in over £2,600 in donations.

As Claire begins her chemotherapy journey, she’s continuing to share updates, photos, and videos of her progress — showing strength, warmth, and a deep desire to help others facing the same challenges.

Anyone wishing to support Claire’s fundraiser can find more details on her fundraising page here.

(At the time of writing Claire has raised close to £2,700 of her £3,000 target, so let's give her one last big push!)