What was supposed to be a joke turned out to be one of the most beautiful gifts a mother could receive from her child.
An Arizona man grew his hair for more than three years to donate it to his mother, who had lost it to radiation therapy.
Matt Shaha said, “It makes perfect sense. After all, she gave me that hair in the first place.”
Melanie Shaha battled a benign brain tumor for many years.
“I had two surgeries, in 2003 and 2006, for a recurrent pituitary tumor. It was benign, but it still needed treatment,” Melanie says.
After two successful surgeries, the tumor returned in 2017, and doctors recommended radiation therapy.
“I asked the doctor, ‘Will my hair fall out?’ He said, ‘No.’”
Three months later, she lost her hair.
TWO-DAY WEEK…
“When you have no hair, you stand out immediately. Kind people have something to say that will make you cry,” Melanie says today.
“Looking sick bothered me more than actually being sick. In a store, I’d rather blend in than stand out.”
Not long after Melanie began losing her hair, her 27-year-old son jokingly suggested she grow it out and get a wig.
I met Matt Shaha a year ago, and he’s one of the most generous people I’ve ever met. Truly unique…
Although the proposal was touching, Melanie didn’t want to burden him with it.
But Matt saw things differently. He spent the next two and a half years growing his hair out. Once it was the right length, he went to his mother’s house with some colleagues and had it cut.
Melanie recalls, “We were so moved that we cried when they started cutting it.”
Matt also paid $2,000 to have the wig made.
Mother and son found a hairdresser who hand-sewed the hair, creating a lightweight, comfortable wig. As soon as it arrived, Melanie immediately cut and styled it.
“It’s the first time in four years I’ve seen my mother look the same as before,” Matt said.
Melanie, thrilled with her new look, admitted it would be hard to find a better gift than the one she received from her son. “It really touches my heart.”