"I know a girl [who] has cancer, so that made me feel sad. So I told my mom I want to donate my hair," said Sarah.
So just days before her birthday, Sarah's mom cut her long locks off. Sarah's 5-year-old sister, Naomi, documented the haircut in a home video.
"I was like so proud when I cut my hair because I felt sad when I had long hair because I wanted that girl to really be happy," Sarah said.
The second-grader donated 14.5 inches of hair to a program called Wigs for Kids. It's an inspiring gift when you consider Sarah has had to battle her own challenges since birth.
"She was born with spina bifida, and at the time we found out this...I knew this girl was special," said her mom, Alexandra Mihaila.
Sarah has spent a lot of time in and out of Loma Linda University Children's Hospital. Her mom says as a result, she's seen a lot of other children who are facing cancer and other debilitating diseases.
"She prays for those kids a lot and she always wants me to buy things for them," said Alexandra.
Alexandra posted her daughter's story to ABC7's Facebook page in the hopes it would inspire others to act selflessly. It's a lesson that, at just 8 years old, Sarah is already mastering.
"I didn't want to just receive gifts, I wanted to give a gift instead of receiving," said Sarah.
Sarah is not done yet. She says she plans on growing her hair out once again and donate it when she is 10.
