Nick Ward had no hesitation in volunteering to have his head shaved for febBRAINairy, and was the first to brave the razor. But for Nick, it wasn't just a bald head that he'd be revealing, but something he'd never seen before - despite it having been there for over 45 years! We'll leave it to Nick to explain

"Exactly why did I shave my hair off on 1st February? Well, apart from wanting to support Smile4Wessex, I had never seen the scar left by life saving brain surgery back in 1971.

"I never forget that had The Wessex Neurological Centre’s surgeons not taken prompt action and operated I may well have died. It is as simple as that. It could have happened to anyone. Back then I was a just a 15 year old, strong and fit as a result of dinghy sailing and hockey. 

"The brain is complex, a delicate organ protected by an incredibly robust armoury. However, had it not been for the skills of Mr John Garfield and Glenn Neil-Dwyer who had the spunk and guts to drill five holes in my head, enabling them to remove damaged veins in my temporal parietal lobe, then I would not have gone on to recover, walk again, meet my wife, and enjoy the love of our two, wonderful children."

And as the before, during and after images above show, Nick's finally able to see the scar that bears witness to that surgery, and his newly bald pate is a sign of his latest fundraising effort in aid of the charity.

"I carry my scar with pride" adds Nick, and if you'd like to add your support you can do so by clicking HERE. Many thanks to Nick, and all those who are having their heads shaved for febBRAINairy.