Mother loses her hair while battling cancer, so her son grows it out to make her a wig.
Melanie Shaha lost her hair in 2003 due to a benign brain tumor. So her kid grew out his hair to create her a wig.
Shaha of Gilbert, Arizona, began experiencing dull headaches, which physicians subsequently determined were signs of a pituitary brain tumor.
The tiny gland at the base of the brain regulates hormones involved in growth, stress, and metabolism.
Melanie’s plum-sized tumor had an impact on the pituitary gland’s function.
“I had surgery to remove the tumor, and I had a really good outcome,” the six-year-old mother said.
The tumor reappeared, necessitating a second surgery to remove it in 2006, followed by a third recurrence in 2017, for which radiotherapy was prescribed.
“I asked (my doctor) if I would lose my hair, and they replied no.” Melanie Shaha remembered. “Three months later, I had a large shed and started losing hair. “I was taken aback.” According to the National Cancer Institute, radiation can cause hair loss in the areas being treated.
“You stand out like a sore thumb without hair, and well-meaning people might say things that shatter your heart,” she continued. “I don’t mind being sick, but I don’t like appearing sick. At the supermarket, I’d rather blend in than stand out.”
Melanie’s 27-year-old son Matt made a joke over a family lunch in 2018.
“I responded, ‘Why don’t I grow out my hair so I can create you a wig?'” he told the site. After graduating from a university with a dress code that limited hair length, Matt was enjoying the freedom of growing his hair out, but “something clicked.”
Melanie Shaha, on the other hand, did not want to burden her son. “I’d remark, ‘I adore your hair,’ and he’d add, ‘Coming soon to a head near you!'” she explained.
Matt had grown 12 inches of hair by March 21, which was enough for a wig. He and a few coworkers went to his mother’s house and chopped it off.
“We were overjoyed, and when they started chopping, we bawled,” Melanie added.
Matt’s hair was transferred to Compassionate Creations in Newport Beach, California, where Melanie received a hand-tied wig in June.
“The family was such a joy to deal with,” said co-founder Veronica Balch. “It makes what we do even more remarkable when someone selflessly shaves their head for a family member.”
Melanie is in love with her wig. “The color is stunning, and we got it trimmed and groomed by a professional,” she remarked. “It looks excellent on me, according to Matt.”
Melanie recognized that Matt’s present would be difficult to top. “It fills your emotional cup.”
