Left In Tears
People around him might have been forgiven for thinking he’d become loopy. After all, those who knew him had never known him to express an interest in such a look.
Week after week and month after month, he stuck to his guns and never budged. Some were impressed by his unwavering commitment, others burning with curiosity. Two years later, it was finally time to reveal why he had been doing it.
A Good Kid
No one who’d ever met Matt Shaha ever had anything bad to say about him. After all, he was a kind, respectful, and generous young man.
Matt and his family were from Idaho but eventually settled in Arizona. He was close with his family, and as a young kid, Matt was always smiling. However, tragedy was around the corner.
His Mom
It was around 2003 when his mother, Melanie Shaha, was first diagnosed with a pituitary tumor. It was a distressing time for the family, especially Matt, who was close to her.
It wasn’t long before Matt, and his family was left with a difficult choice. Despite the dangers, Melanie elected to have a surgical procedure.
Relief
Fortunately, the procedure went well, and Melanie’s tumor was successfully removed. The family was naturally relieved and tried to get back to life as it was.
However, the family’s joy and relief were short-lived. Sadly, by 2006, Melanie’s tumor had grown back. This time, it was larger.
The Second Tumor
According to doctors, the tumor was the size of a plum. It was a difficult moment for the family as they had hoped the entire ordeal was over.
The pituitary gland was a small gland located at the base of the skull. Problems with it could affect many health functions, such as metabolism and reproduction.
New Challenge
The resurgence of the tumor presented a new challenge. The family had to hope for the best again as doctors got to work trying to remove it.
For the second time, Matt Shaha was forced to sit back and wait for his mom to have surgery. While doctors were hopeful of success, there were risks with such procedures.
The Result
Yet again, Melani was lucky enough to have the tumor successfully removed. Her health improved, and the family could finally settle and put her health problems aside.
Many years passed like this, and Melanie was doing okay. Matt had begun growing into a fine young man. However, the family’s troubles weren’t over.
The News
Melanie and her family thought they had seen the last of her tumor for eleven years. Sadly, in 2017 it returned yet again. This time, there were further complications, and doctors couldn’t operate this time.
Melanie was forced to undergo radiation and hoped the tumor would begin shrinking that way. It was particularly rough for her and the family, especially Matt.
Matt’s Reaction
Like everyone, he thought she wouldn’t have to suffer again after having two tumors removed. The third tumor was very distressing. It wasn’t easy for him to watch his mother suffer. Matt soon began growing his hair.
It seemed strange to those around him, maybe even rebellious, like he might have picked it up from famous YouTube stars with long hair.
His Hair
Matt had always worn his hair relatively short. When he suddenly began growing it out, no one could understand why. The weeks turned into months, and he still refused to get a haircut.
As his hair grew out more and more, he had to suffer a lot of ribbing from friends and family over it. However, Matt was determined to keep growing it, and no one knew why
Years Passed
When the months turned into a year and then two, some people closest to Matt were surprised that he was still sticking to his newfound love for long hair.
Matt still supported his mom through all her treatment but became a little obsessive over his hair. After two and a half years, it had grown quite long. He was now satisfied with the length, and it was finally time to show everyone why he had done it.
For Mom
When Melanie Shaha was diagnosed with a third pituitary tumor, this time, she had to sit through hours of radiation therapy. Unfortunately, the side effects of this kind of therapy were horrendous.
One side effect was that she lost all her hair, which was difficult for Matt to see. Being the amazing young man he was, Matt grew his own hair for two and a half years and then had a hairdresser cut it, so he could turn it into a wig for his mom to use.
Wonderful Gesture
Matt’s amazing gesture meant that his mom, who had been forced to go bald since her radiation treatment, could now have a beautiful new head of hair, made especially for her.
Matt showed the deep love he held for his mom by not only sacrificing two years of haircuts but also by making sure it was just perfect. So, how did he do it?
The Process
Once Matt was satisfied with the length, he visited a special hairdresser that knew exactly what he wished to do. His locks were carefully cut off and collected in just the right way.
This was far from the end, though. Matt had to then have the hair sent to a company called Compassionate Creations in California that specialized in such wigs. That wasn’t all.
Paying Her Back
Matt spent $2000 to have the special wig made for Melanie. She was overjoyed at what her son had been able to do for her. According to Today, Melanie said, "The color is spectacular, and we had it cut and styled with a hairdresser."
As for Matt, he brushed off all the praise heaped on him for his extraordinary act. Speaking to KSAZ, he said it was a “no brainer” because “She gave me the hair in the first place.” In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.