Anyone who has battled cancer, or has known someone with cancer, knows what a difficult journey it is.
The old normal is replaced with a new one. A normal that consists of countless doctor’s appointments, surgery, radiation treatments, chemotherapy, pain management, and multiple hospital stays.
One of the common side effects of treatment is hair loss, forcing many cancer patients to shave their heads. And while some people may think, 'it's only hair,' it's so much more than that. It is yet another cruel reminder of the physical and emotional toll cancer has wrought.
So when one woman undergoing chemotherapy made the difficult decision to shave her head, it was, understandably, an extremely emotional and trying time.
But thankfully, she didn't have to face it alone. At a time when she needed it most, support came from an unlikely source.
How One Barber Went Above and Beyond for His Client Battling Cancer
When a woman named Nubia walked into Bravo's Barbearia hair salon, she knew what she had to do. In the throes of chemotherapy, her hair was already beginning to fall out. It was time.
But knowing this didn't make it any easier.
As Nubia sat sobbing in her chair, her barber, Danillo Mendonça, gently shaved off her shoulder-length locks, all the while reassuring her that it was "just a phase. That soon it would grow again because she would beat cancer." At one point he cradled her head in comfort.
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When he finally finished shaving her head, he hugged her close as she cried in his arms.
However, he wasn't quite done. As he turned her towards the mirror, he reached his hands up to his own hair.
And in a powerful display of solidarity, Danillo shaved off his own hair as his client lost hers.
The heartwarming moment was captured on video and shared on the barbershop's Instagram page, Bravo's Barbearia.
The Viral Video That Will Have You Sobbing
The video takes the viewer on an amazing journey of heartbreak, compassion, and pure love in action.
The caption, originally written in Portuguese, translates in part: "An unusual request for a barbershop, but undeniable. Nubia came to us very shy, embarrassed, and unable to say what was going on. But with a lot of conversation, she opened her heart and told us about the difficulty she was going through with CANCER."
The post continued: "At first we were astonished, with no reaction, such news is always very difficult to hear, but we welcomed her and gave her much more strength, because we were sure that she would win this battle of life."
It goes on to explain the powerful reason behind the barber's incredible act of empathy and kindness. "In the end, I hugged her with great certainty in my heart and started to cut mine too, in the form of affection, to give her support and strength so she wouldn't give up."
Everyone fighting cancer deserves this kind of support.
How One Barber Played a Part in a Woman Overcoming Cancer
People are loving the video. The clip has garnered over 9M views, 2M likes, and 25K comments, including one from Nubia herself.
It reads: "Omg the pain I still feel watching this video 😢 ... More has passed 🙏 as you said yourself @danillogoomes that it was just a difficult phase and that it would pass ❤️ thank you for everything I will be grateful for the rest of my life I love you. @bravos.barbeariaa you are part of my story of overcoming 🤍"
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It turns out that the barber was right. Nubia battled cancer. And won.
Danillo may not have been one of the doctors administering the treatment but his role in Nubia's recovery was no less significant.
He turned a devastating situation into a powerful moment of camaraderie and empathy. His incredible act of kindness reminded Nubia that she wasn't alone in her cancer journey. And in doing so, he gave her the strength she needed to get through it.
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