A LITTLE girl's selfless act to help her best friend has touched hearts all over the world.
Lea Turnell, ten, is having her long blonde hair chopped off to make into a wig for her friend Elisha Hooley, also ten, who has alopecia.
The girls and their families have been inundated with messages of support from around the world, including as far afield as Alaska and New Zealand.
The story of Lea's good deed for her best friend received more than 26,500 "likes" on the Mail's Facebook page.
Elisha's mum Caroline Beadle, 35, said: "It has been crazy and we are just in shock at the response.
"I can't believe how caring people have been. I was hoping maybe a few people from Hull would help us, but we've had offers of help from all over the world."
The girls have been best friends since they both started St Richard's Primary School in Marfleet Lane, east Hull, and Lea hopes her hair can be made into a wig for Elisha before they start secondary school next September.
Elisha suffers a range of medical conditions including anaemia and problems with her immune system, and she takes medication for iron intolerance.
Her hair started to fall out in clumps when she was just six and she has now lost her eyelashes and eyebrows.
Lea, of Batley Close, east Hull, started growing her hair to help children with cancer, but offered to donate her hair into a wig for Elisha as she watched what was happening to her friend.
Ms Beadle and Lea's mum Sarah have opened a bank account for donations to help them raise the £2,000 for the wig.
Ms Beadle, of Brigham Grove, east Hull, said: "People have got in touch with us to tell us where we can go to get the wig made.
"We've also had someone offer to make us a wig for Elisha until Lea's hair can be cut and made into one for her.
"Pubs all over Hull have been in touch, offering to hold charity nights to help us raise the money.
"It has been absolutely amazing to see how many people want to help us and we can't thank people enough."
She said both girls had been taken aback by the response to their story.
Ms Beadle said: "I think they're a bit overwhelmed by it all, to be honest.
"Elisha has been a bit emotional so she went to Flamingo Land for the day at the weekend just to give her a bit of a treat."
Both mums are planning a fun day to help them raise money and are asking companies in Hull to help them with prizes to raffle to help them raise cash.
Ms Beadle, who has three older children, Dylan, 18, Declan, 17, and 15-year-old Callan, said they were also planning to set up a charity to help children who lose their hair through alopecia or cancer treatment.
"The response has been so good, we know we can do something to help other children," she said.
"It's not just Elisha who is affected by this.There are lots of other children out there who we could help."
Visit the Elisha's Wish page on Facebook to read more. People can donate at Lloyds Bank in Holderness Road, east Hull, using the sort code 30-94-44 and account number 39379368.
Goodwill messages pour in for schoolgirl friendsMORE than 1,000 people posted comments supporting Elisha and Lea on the Mail's Facebook page.
Vicky Smith-Barr wrote: "That's lovely. Bet her parents are really proud of her."
Claire Lovick posted: "Beautiful. I suffer from alopecia myself and it's heartbreaking. True friendship."
Lesley Kelly posted: "That's true friendship. It's great to see parents still teach their kids to share and be respectful of others.
"They will go places xxx".
Tom Easton left the message: "Now that really is friendship and such a good example to us adults."
