Before Starting Chemo Mom Allows Her 4-Year-Old To Give Her Anything Goes Haircut
Women are emotionally attached to their hair, and hair loss is something they often find difficult to cope with.
Therefore, losing the hair as a side-effect of chemotherapy is usually seen as a symbol of the long and painful struggle people have to endure in the attempt to combat the deadly disease.
After she was diagnosed with stage-2 germ-cell ovarian cancer, 32-year-old Emilie Orton from Arizona knew that she had to get ready for some drastic changes in her life.
Her oncologist told her that the experience would be emotional for her three kids too. He advised her to find a way to involve them in it, as they are going through it all with her as well.
To save herself the torture before chemo, the brave mom decided to cut her hair before it gradually fell out. So, she decided to ask her 4-year-old daughter Norah for help!
Emilie recorded the entire process and uploaded it on Instagram, where she runs a cancer awareness movement, and wrote:
“I’m feeling scared to take the plunge. Bald? Please no. But it’s definitely time. What if my head is secretly shaped weird? Like a neglected flat spot (is that even a real thing or just my creepy mom brain?) or what if I have a cone-head because I was a ginormous baby when I came out?”
Emilie explained that Norah, also called “Shug”, is very cautious about outfits, hair, style, and fashion. Therefore, in their kitchen, she completed the task with precision, ”and did a fantastic four-year-old job.”
Yet, Emilie said that she is her “favorite and scariest hairstylist” she has ever had, and compared her new look to a ‘Barbie’ haircut, saying it was her “favorite hack job”.
Instagram followers loved the video and praised the mother-daughter pair and their work!
Since her diagnosis, Emilie has been documenting her whole cancer journey on Instagram, encouraging others to share their stories.
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In one of her posts, while in the hospital, she spoke about the scary episodes of emotional and physical breakdown.
She wrote:
“The annoying thing about chemo is… everything. It’s been so frustrating this week. I’ve been in such a dark place. And it has become so real. It’s not all goofy Mr. Clean Halloween because sometimes it really is just the worst. Not only do I feel horrible inside but when I look in the mirror, it’s so hard to recognize who I am on the outside too. This isn’t a poor me post but a reality post and a here-is-what-cancer-can-feel-like post. I don’t want to forget how it was.”
Yet, she keeps fighting, aware that positivity is the key to success. She tries to have a lot of fun with her family, so they often go to the beach, shopping, hiking, gardening, and volunteering.
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She wrote on Romper:
“Knowing that a beautiful baldness was coming my way terrified me and made me cry on multiple occasions, but I tried to think of the best way to make it bearable for this family of mine. After all it was not just me going through this cancer journey, but all of us together. And also my hair.”
To all those out there battling cancer, you are in our prayers. Stay strong and positive.
