A son grew out his own hair and trimmed it to construct a wig for his mother after she lost her hair as a result of a benign brain tumor.
Melanie Shaha of Gilbert, Arizona, began experiencing dull headaches in 2003, which subsequently proved to be signs of a benign pituitary brain tumor.
The small gland near the base of the brain controls hormones involved in metabolism, anxiety, and growth. Melanie’s plum-sized tumor interfered with the pituitary gland’s ability to function.
The mother of six expressed that she underwent surgery to remove the tumor and she had a really amazing result. After the tumor recurred, a second operation to remove it was necessary in 2006, and radiotherapy was then recommended for a third recurrence in 2017.
When she questioned her doctor, will she lose her hair? They said, “No.” Shaha Melanie recalled. She started losing hair and had a large shed three months later. She was taken aback. The National Cancer Institute states that radiation can result in hair loss in the treated regions.
She said, “If you don’t have hair, you stick out like a sore thumb and good-intentioned people might say things that hurt your heart.” She doesn’t mind becoming ill, but she doesn’t like how she appears. At the store, she likes to fit in rather than stick out.
During a meal with the family in 2018, Melanie’s son Matt, then age 27, cracked a joke.
He stated that he replied, why don’t he grow out his hair to make a wig for his mom? Matt was enjoying the freedom of growing out his hair after just graduating from a university with a dress code that prohibited long hair, yet “something clicked.”
But Melanie Shaha didn’t want to put too much pressure on her kid. She recalled how when she would tell him she adored his hair, he would reply, ‘coming soon to a head near you!
Matt’s hair had grown to a length of 12 inches by March 21—enough for a wig. He went to his mother’s house with a handful of his employees, where they cut it all off.
When they began cutting, Melanie and he sobbed because they were so ecstatic.
A firm named Compassionate Creations in Newport Beach, California received some of Matt’s hair and used it to create a hand-tied wig that was given to Melanie in June.
Working with the family was such a pleasure, Veronica Balch, a co-founder remarked. What they do becomes even more significant when somebody generously shaves their head for a family member.
Melanie adores wearing wigs. They had a hairdresser trim and style it, and the color is amazing, she said. Matt thought she looked fantastic in it.
It will be difficult to beat Matt’s present, Melanie acknowledged. It definitely fills one’s emotional tank.
