HAVING your head shaved would be a traumatic thought for most people, even if it was in a good cause.

However for single mum Kirsty Brown the fundraiser she is planning is a way of helping her cope with life-changing conditions which dominate her life.

The 27-year-old from Winnington has had narcolepsy and cataplexy since she was a teenager, conditions which can make everyday activities fraught with danger.

Extreme daytime sleepiness is one of the symptoms of brain disorder narcolepsy, and cataplexy, a symptom of narcolepsy, involves sudden muscle weakness which can make a person go limp or unable to move.

The conditions mean Kirsty is apprehensive of going out in case she has an attack, as people assume she is drunk if she loses muscle control and have no idea anything is wrong if she suddenly falls asleep on public transport.

Kirsty has two children, Ryan, eight, and Joey, who will be two in November, and contacted the Guardian to raise awareness of conditions she said people knew little about.

She also wanted to praise the support she has from her son Ryan, a pupil at Winnington Park Primary School, who she described as ‘her little saviour’.

“I wanted to raise awareness of this terrible disorder, and to show the world what an amazing and supportive son I have in my eight-year-old,” she said.

“Ryan is brilliant, and when I’m going to have an attack or fit he will run up and lie with me until I am strong enough to tell him I’m OK again.

“He squeezes my hand, which helps me, and he is my little carer.

“Regardless of his young age, he looks after me and makes me safe - to him I am number one.

“He watches his mum go through things no young boy should have to, and for that he makes me so proud and deserves for people to know how beautiful his heart is.

“When my legs cannot carry me and my speech is slurred people think I’m a drunk mum, and some people have made jokes about the narcolepsy, whereas they wouldn’t make fun of epilepsy.

“I have some brilliant friends who understand how hard it is and the stress that I have gone through, and they are so important to me and my children.”

Kirsty is planning to have her head shaved to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, a fundraiser inspired by a cancer battle being fought by a local woman.

“I decided to do the head shave as I am tired of feeling sorry for myself, and the young woman who has cancer made me realise there is always someone worse off than yourself,” she said.

“I am calling the event Brave the Shave, and my friend Emma Parkes from Barnton is going to shave my head at my house on November 11.

“My friends will be there to watch, and I’ve already raised £71 for the event in only a few weeks towards my target of £110, which is amazing.”

Anyone who would like to support the fundraiser can visit bravetheshave.org.uk/shavers/kirsty-brown.