In the spring of 2021, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a terrifying time for our entire family. Undergoing cancer treatment was going to be hard enough for her to begin with, but on top of that we were having to navigate all of this while the COVID-19 pandemic was still in high gear.
Speaking of the pandemic, at the time of her diagnosis, I hadn't seen a barber in ages. My hair was already pretty shaggy when Shannon went in for a pre-chemo head shave. I told her I would go with her to shave mine as well, and she emphatically refused. "I'm a big girl, I'll be fine," she said. "And I like your hair. If I can't have mine, you're keeping yours."
Over the next year and a half, I watched Shannon fight through chemotherapy and radiation. I did everything I could to keep the house in order while she was down, but watching her struggle through her treatment destroyed me. There were many days that I'd think to myself, "how could things possibly get any worse!?" Then, I'd notice our twin girls playing and I'd realize, "oh... that's how."
When Shannon told me to keep my hair, I decided that I was going to grow my hair out and that when the time came that I was ready to cut it, it was going to be for something good. That time has come. Shannon is doing great. She's finished with the harsh treatments, her hair is coming back and she looks and feels amazing.
When I look back at this entire ordeal, I think about how much we've been through as a family and how scary it was. Then, I think about how much worse it must be for children facing the same fight, and for their families. I couldn't imagine seeing one of my children go through what Shannon did. So, with your help, I plan to shave my head to help children.
If I reach my fundraising goal, I will shave my head on March 24th. The money will help fund research for childhood cancers, and the hair will go to Children with Hair Loss to make wigs for children suffering from medically-related hair loss conditions.
Cancer kills more of our kids than any other disease, but your gift can help in more ways than one. I don’t want to let these kids down. Can you help? Thank you!
