This Portsmouth boy was bullied for his long hair. What he's done to rise above the hate
PORTSMOUTH — At just 9 years old, A.J. Silvia knew he wanted to help people.
A fifth-grader at the time enrolled at Portsmouth Middle School, A.J. learned of an Ohio-based organization called Wigs For Kids that assists children suffering from cancer, alopecia, burns or other forms of hair loss.
He wanted to get involved, so he let his dark, brown hair grow, first past his shoulders and then down his back with the goal of donating it. Because adolescents can be cruel, A.J. faced some teasing from classmates.
“I remember on the school bus, they called me names,” he said, seated on a bench outside Portsmouth Middle School on a recent sun-splashed Saturday morning. “They kept calling me A-gay, because my name is A.J., and I was really tired of it. I just didn’t like it. That’s one of the reasons I started martial arts, to be prepared to defend myself.”
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In spite of the constant barrage of disparaging comments over the length of his hair, A.J.’s spirit never wavered, and he made the needed 12-inch donation. Then he started growing it out again. He’s now a 12-year-old eighth-grader — quite a bit younger than many of his classmates because he skipped kindergarten — and is dealing with the same type of a bullying.
That promoted A.J.’s mother, Liz Gagnon, to make a post on the All Things Portsmouth Facebook group. She explained why his hair was long and the scrutiny he faced on a daily basis. The post drew 169 comments, and nearly every single one contained an encouraging response.
“The world needs more people like you … Keep shining your light and spreading your kindness,” one person wrote.
A.J. said seeing all of the positivity from the post inspired him to keep going. “I remember I felt really happy, like I was doing something good,” he said.
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It also led to a community event coming up next year. On March 4, the stylists at Stef’s Salon & Spa, 14 Potomac Road, will offer their services to anyone who wants to donate their hair to Wigs for Kids. While 12 inches is preferred, 8 inches is the minimum. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A.J.’s hair is currently 9½ inches, and he’ll be cutting it off at this event.
“It makes me feel so proud of him, his generous spirit,” Gagnon said. “He cares about others more than he cares about himself sometimes. He’s willing to tolerate the bullying and negative comments because he knows it will do good for another person. And that just makes me so proud.”
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A.J., who runs for the cross country team at Portsmouth Middle School and said he has thought about joining the military, said he “definitely” will grow his hair again after getting it cut.
“It’s great that a lot of people are behind me,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Portsmouth RI: Boy bullied for long hair to donate it to Wigs for Kids