Tey say that a woman’s hair is her glory.
It’s an antiquated idea, but just about every woman will tell you that there are deep emotions tangled up in the presence, absence, and substance of hair. For lots of women, having long, flowing tresses is a point of pride.
Way back in 2013, Masa Song, a teenager living in Canada, was no exception. She had always been known for her abundant, Rapunzel-like hair. Even as a newborn, her substantial locks drew attention.
And she kept her beautiful hair for the next 16 years, much like this Virginia teenager known for her floor-brushing mane. Masa never cut or even trimmed her hair, letting it grow to her ankles.
She never thought she would have a reason to cut her hair. Like this woman who never realized how much her long hair aged her, Masa intended to keep her long hair forever, until fate intervened.
She was always proud of her long, thick hair. According to an interview with theNiagara Falls Review, when Masa was born in China, “the doctor said, ‘I’ve been a doctor for so many years, I’ve seen lots of newborn babies, but I’ve never seen that kind of beautiful, thick, long hair.’ The doctor said, ‘You guys are lucky to have that kind of hair. Just keep it.’”
As she got older, she maintained her voluminous locks, up until the age of 12, when her mother unexpectedly passed away from lung cancer. She says, “When I was young, I learned how to wash my hair by myself. Before my mom passed away, my mom braided my hair every single morning. After my mom passed away, I kept it in a big ball.”
Four years later, it’s still emotional for Masa to remember her mother, who tried to keep her illness hidden from her daughter so that Masa could focus on school. Masa took that to heart, and recently left China to study and improve her English overseas, as an exchange student in Canada. She hopes to train as a lawyer, and make her mother proud.
Fueled by her mother’s memory, Masa decided to make some changed upon arriving at her new Canadian school, Stamford Collegiate. She learned about programs that used donated hair in order to make wigs for children, and decided to donate her own hair, over 4 feet of it, in her mother’s memory. Watch the video below to see the build-up to Masa’s fateful chop.
And if you were stunned by Masa’s generous donation, please SHARE this incredible girl’s story in honor of all families affected by cancer!
