When Abigail Mahoney first learned about cancer at about the age of 5, her reaction was quite different from that of most other kids: She came up with an idea to give back.

The now 8-year-old daughter of Kevin and Kelly Mahoney spent the last three years growing out her hair to 10 inches in length with plans of donating it to a charity that makes wigs for cancer patients. Long-term hair loss is a common side effect from many cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy.

Abigail's once long and beautiful blonde hair was cut on April 20 and mailed to Pantene Prov-V's charity, Beautiful Lengths, which is a partnership between Pantene and the American Cancer Society

Knowing cancer hurts people makes her sad, said Abigail, a second grader at Chloe Clark Elementary School in DuPont, and she wanted to find a way to make them feel better. But her noble efforts hit even closer to home, as both of her grandfathers died of colon cancer before the age of 45.

"My mom talked to me about it," she said about the disease.

Abigail was inspired to cut her hair after her 12-year-old cousin, Emma, who lives in Pennsylvania, donated her hair to a charity organization not long ago.

Kevin recalls the actual day that she did it: While pressure-washing his sidewalk, Kevin said, Abigail came out of the house holding two pony tails.

When asked how it makes her feel knowing that she's helping people, Abigail replied, "it makes me feel good."

Most kids these days think more about themselves. But when Kelly finally cut her hair, knowing how it would benefit another person, she said words couldn't describe how much it meant to her family.

"To see my kid be selfless like that, when I see any child that does something that doesn't ask for anything in return, I'm so proud of her," she said.

Kevin, who is in the 47th Combat Support Hospital, 62nd Medical Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, said Abigail's efforts also show dedication.

"It's phenomenal," he said.

The most popular nonprofit charity in the U.S. that donates hair is Locks of Love. It helps thousands of children, many of whom have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areta, which has no known cause or cure, according to its website.

Abigail's hair will help give women battling cancer more self-confidence and allow them to feel better about their self-image.

Kelly said the hair was getting a bit too long to manage and that it was time to cut it. As for growing the hair out again, Kelly said there might be a family tradition in the making.

"Her plan is to let it grow again," Kelly said. "Her plan is to do it again."

For more information about Abigail's charity or donating hair, visit www.pantene.com/beautifullengths or www.locksoflove.org.