“I do it in honour of my best mate, who died when we were 29… She is still 29 and I'm nearly 67,” Toni said about her fundraising shave, which took place in Nambucca Heads last Thursday (15th).

“I’m going to keep going, til I’m not going anymore.” 

Toni grew up with best friend Denise in the suburb of Lidcombe in Sydney’s west. 

During Denise’s pregnancy with her third child, she was diagnosed with Leukaemia. Months later Denise gave birth to a baby boy, Nathan, but sadly passed away when he was just 15-months old.

“Denise was the 18^th member of her family to die from the disease, even though they reckon it’s not hereditary,” Toni said.

At birth, baby Nathan was given the all clear by doctors. But then the unthinkable happened, and at age four Nathan also passed away from Leukaemia.

Since her first fundraising shave in 2004, Toni continues to raise awareness and funding support to help others battling the disease. 

Toni said she has always admired the generosity and support from the Nambucca Valley since she made the move here in the early 2000s.

“The first time I had my head shaved, I thought, wow, this place is so generous. It’s amazing how much is raised in this town, especially for Leukaemia,” Toni said.

Her shaved head has become somewhat of a lucky charm over the years.

“I get a lot of people rub my head for luck,” Toni said.

But for Toni it’s all about the cause – the fight against cancer.

“There’s nothing brave about getting a hair cut, what’s brave is going through chemotherapy!”

Toni has set a target of $560, which will give a regional family a free place to stay close to treatment in the city for one week.

You can donate to Toni’s World’s Greatest Shave page here.