Casey’s close shave in memory of a friend

They were there for her again when she died.

It was the school holidays and she was 13 years old. Everyone from the old group read something at the funeral, except for the shy one, Casey Davies, who just couldn’t.

Now 17 and in the thick of serious teen milestones - a driver’s licence, a boyfriend, the HSC - Casey’s thoughts keep returning to the friend who didn’t get the same opportunities.

Tomorrow, Casey will shave her head in memory of Natasha, a serious feat given her plait measures 35cm.

She will be joined at her current school, Oak Flats High, by other shave volunteers including Natasha’s mother Julia and her own mum, Debra Davies.

‘‘Casey’s in her last year of school and there’s a lot of things going on she knows Natasha didn’t get to do,’’ said Mrs Davies, a teacher’s aide at Albion Park Rail Public School.

‘‘I said ‘what about your formal?’. She said, ‘Why would I be worried about a formal when Natasha missed out on so much?’. My husband Peter and I are so proud of her.

‘‘Casey and I also want Natasha’s family to know we will never forget Natasha.’’

Natasha was diagnosed with leukaemia six months before she started high school.

Treatment caused her straight, brown hair to fall out - it would grow back curly - and her mum shaved her own head then too, in solidarity.

Natasha died on April 16, 2008, two months after her 13th birthday.

Mrs Davies took part in the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave in 2009 and 2010 in memory of Natasha.

This year Casey heads the fund-

raising team called ‘‘roarrr!!’’, whose supporters have already donated more than $2400 on the World’s Greatest Shave website.