After girl’s cut, 2 new hairdos

Melinda Fischer, 13, was nervous as she rode with her mom to the posh Vogue Salon in Newport Beach for her first cut in a full-blown salon.

But after Vogue’s artistic director Donato Bianchini cut off more than 10 inches of her brown hair, Melinda said it was worth it. Today Melinda and mom Edie Fischer of Newport plan to send her braid of hair to Locks of Love, a nonprofit that helps provide wigs to children with cancer (locksoflove.org).

The cut was inspired by a recent trip to Wisconsin, where her family adopted a family and gave them gifts and groceries. The 13-year-old girl in the family had lost her hair due to chemotherapy. Without seeing the girl, Melinda sympathized.

“She has so much compassion for other people, sometimes she tells me she wishes she didn’t feel so bad or sad for people who aren’t as fortunate,” Fischer said. “I try and tell her that her empathy is a gift and someday somebody is going to benefit from this gift of compassion.”