Little girl with down syndrome is winning hearts by styling her sister's hair: 'She's so smart'

Whether you are an avid beauty enthusiast on TikTok or just a casual YouTube shorts scroller, chances are you have come across Kalista Hesch and her talented 13-year-old sister, Worthy. With her impressive hairstyling skills, Worthy has captured the hearts of social media users everywhere as she styles her big sister's hair. Since going viral in 2020, the duo has 5.3 million followers on TikTok and 113K followers on Instagram, filled with adorable beauty sessions. Worthy unleashed her inner hairdresser when Hesch had her over for a sleepover on her 19th birthday. "We sat in front of the camera with a trending song on TikTok; I pressed record and just let her do her thing and thought nothing of it," Hesch told Good Morning America.

"The next day, I woke up on my birthday and the video hit 1 million views!!" she said while saying that her sister is extremely attentive. "She is so smart and attentive, so she just watched our momma and me doing our hair and makeup. She wanted to do the same! One day we were making a TikTok and I handed her a straightener and she started giving me curls with a straightener."

Hesch's family adopted Worthy from China when she was five years old and as her protective elder sister, Hesch ensures that she only films videos when Worthy is willing and comfortable. Additionally, Hesch prioritizes safety by ensuring that all hair tools used in the clips are unplugged.

"I would not trade my relationship with Worthy for the entire world. She is so kind and to me, she is the closest thing to perfection in this world," Hesch said. "If our family did not adopt her and she could be anywhere in this world, but she is with us and I could not be happier. Worthy is worthy of being loved, she is worthy of having a family and she is worthy of all the good things this life has to offer her. I love her so much and I can honestly say other than my awesome husband, Worthy is my best friend." Hesch believes that the videos are popular because of the positivity they spread. "Worthy is joy. On a platform like TikTok where every other swipe is hate and opposition, people pause on our page to breathe and experience the Worthy joy," she added.

With her hairstyling and makeup talents, Worthy captivates a wide audience of millions on TikTok, frequently featuring Hesch as her model. Describing her little sister, Hesch says that Worthy is a perfectionist who enjoys interacting with people and brushing their hair, a reflection of her loving and amiable personality, per People. Worthy has Down Syndrome, a genetic condition that can lead to developmental delays and intellectual disabilities.

"I put on a song and she was just standing behind me. She was just fixing my shirt and adjusting my necklace and went like this to my hair, and everyone just flipped out," Hesch said of their filming sessions. "Worthy honestly loves it so much. If she isn't feeling it, we take a break until she's ready. She is 99.9% happy all of the time, but the other .1% is what keeps her human, or else I would think she is an angel from heaven above." Hesch added, "Worthy literally means the world to me. Every day that I come over to my parents and see her big smile, I'm just so grateful to have her in my life... I don't know what I would do without her."