His hair will be removed at the Flashbacks market in Ashburton on Friday night for Shave for a Cure, which raises money for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand.
Eight Kiwis are diagnosed with blood cancer every day. It can strike anyone, at any age, with no warning.
Carl, 73, went for a routine blood test just before Christmas last year and then received a letter telling him he had an appointment at Christchurch Hospital.
He said he was tired but did not feel as if anything was wrong.
However, he was told he had two types of cancer, one affecting his red blood cells and the other his white.
‘‘I had no idea anything was wrong,’’ Carl said.
He is now having weekly injections and his red blood cells are in the normal range.
‘‘My cancer is not curable but it is treatable, so I am making the most of life,’’ he said.
Carl said if he drops off to sleep around his granddaughters, they have fun painting his nails or even doing a make over.
Carl has had his beard for 40 years but it will also be shaved off tonight.
The result will be a surprise to many who know him.
He began growing his beard after he finished being a volunteer firefighter. He could not have a beard while being a firey.
Carl is looking to auction off the right to shave his hair off.
His goal is to raise $1000. As of Friday morning, he had raised almost $600.
This isn’t the first time Carl has shaved his head for cancer - he did it for child cancer about 20 years ago.
‘‘The grandchildren and most of my friends have never seen me without a beard,’’ he said.
The Shave for a Cure fundraiser runs throughout March. It will help pay for lifesaving research and deliver crucial care and support for people with blood cancer.
- To donate to Carl’s Shave for a Cure, go to www.shaveforacure.co.nz/fundraisers/carlpetersen or make a donation at the market. His head and beard will be shaved off at 6.30pm on Friday at the Flashbacks night market, 173 Burnett St.
By Dellwyn Moylan
