Why am I shaving my head, and why should you care?

This will be my third year sitting in that chair, watching my hair fall away in support of kids fighting the battle of their lives.

Three years ago, I made a choice—to stand in solidarity with children who never got to choose cancer. Kids who wake up to treatments instead of Saturday morning cartoons. Kids who know the inside of hospital rooms better than playgrounds. Kids whose bravery in the face of impossible odds puts most of us to shame.

I work in an emergency department as a behavioral health clinician. Every day, I see people in crisis—moments where everything hangs in the balance. I've learned that showing up matters. That bearing witness to someone's struggle, even in small ways, can make all the difference. That sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is say, "I see you. You're not alone in this."

That's what St. Baldrick's means to me.

When I shave my head, it's not just about raising money for childhood cancer research—though that research is desperately needed and underfunded. It's about making visible what these kids go through. It's about carrying a small piece of their journey with me, even if just for a few months while my hair grows back. They don't get that luxury. They're in this fight for the long haul.

I'm doing this because I'm a father. Because I have a son who I can't imagine watching suffer through something like this. Because every child deserves the chance to grow up, to fall in love, to discover who they're meant to be. Because childhood should be about scraped knees and homework struggles—not chemotherapy and clinical trials.

So why should you care? Because these kids can't fight this alone. Because research funding saves lives. Because every dollar brings us closer to better treatments, higher survival rates, and maybe—hopefully—a cure.

This is my third year shaving because the need hasn't gone away. The fight continues. And I'll keep showing up until every child has the future they deserve.

Join me. Donate if you can. Share if you can't. Together, we can make sure these brave kids know they're worth fighting for.

Thank you for caring enough to read this far. Thank you for whatever you're able to give.