A WEEK ago Anna Bartlett had shoulder-length light brown hair - but now it's all gone. Because Anna decided to shave off all her hair to raise funds for Cwmbran toddler Amber Hartland.

On Saturday, the 32-year- old mum sat down in the middle of The Greenhouse in Llantarnam and under the watchful gaze of a packed pub, had her hair cut off. For her effort she raised almost £3,700 for the Amber Hartland Fund, which now stands at £13,182.

The fund was set up by the one year old's parents, Lesley and Nick, of Ellwood Path, Cwmbran, after Amber was diagnosed at the beginning of the year with the rare genetic disorder Tay Sachs. If she has the infantile form of the disease, her parents fear their daughter could die by the age of five.

They launched the fund to raise between £250,000 and £500,000 so Amber can be taken to America, seen by doctors there and if possible put on an experimental drug trial to extend her lifespan.

If USA doctors diagnose the juvenile form of the disease, she could live until her teens. Anna, of Court Farm Close, Llantarnam, said: "I felt dreadful when I sat down but the electricity didn't work and we had to stop for ten minutes and get it working.

"I had psyched myself up for it. I had long hair and was waiting for the cut. My heart was pounding."

But Anna said she feels great having raised so much money for Amber. "I had long hair before, now I'm completely bald and cold. but my son's got chicken pox so I can't go out anywhere, anyway. I'm walking around with a Postman Pat bobble hat on because my head's really cold."

Tonight, a charity rugby match between Newport RFC and a Cwmbran select XV is set to swell the fund coffers.

The match, at the King's Head ground, Station Road, Cwmbran, starts at 7.30pm. It will feature some of Newport's stars and some youth players, while other Newport players will be signing autographs.

Malcolm Gough, of the Alders, Cwmbran, and father of Newport and Wales second row Ian Gough, set up the match after reading about Amber's plight in the Argus.

Donations to the Amber Hartland Fund can be made at branches of the HSBC branch quoting account number 3141 5409.