On the day she might have been skipping off to her friend’s birthday party in pigtails and ribbons, 7-year-old Sydney Adamy breezed through the doors of Elements Salon in Discovery Bay and got those pigtails cut off.

In August, Sydney donated 10 inches of her hair to Locks of Love in memory of her friend Carmen Galbraith, who died of brain cancer in 2009. Aug. 10 would have been Carmen’s 10th birthday, and Sydney wanted to do something special to celebrate the Brentwood girl and their friendship.

“She brought a picture of Carmen with her to Elements Salon,” said Sydney’s mom, Heather. “She wanted to make sure Carmen was watching.”

Carmen and Sydney became friends through their moms, who belonged to the same church in Brentwood. When Carmen became sick in 2008 and passed on a few months later, Sydney mourned the loss of her friend and began thinking of ways she could help other children suffering from life-threatening illnesses. And that’s when she and her mom thought of Locks for Love, the nonprofit organization that donates wigs to children who have lost their hair due to illness and are unable to afford a hairpiece.

“Carmen was a nice friend to me and I though I could do something nice for her,” said Sydney, who had never gotten more than a trim of her hip-length locks before.

And does she think Carmen would have approved of her new ’do?

“Yep, I do think she likes it,” said Sydney. “And I like it, too. It’s easier for my mom to take care of now.”

The friendship between the two families has continued, and just this year, the Gailbraiths welcomed another baby to their brood of four boys. “They’re great,” said Heather. “They had another boy – Bruce – and everyone’s doing fine. They’re a wonderful family.”

As for Sydney and her shorn locks, does she plan to keep the new look?

“I would like to cut it again, but this time not so short,” said Sydney. “I like it longer but not to my hips, like before.”