Son shaves head to show support for Mom diagnosed with cancer: 'I didn't want her to feel alone'

It's heartbreaking to learn someone you love has cancer and it's certainly a lot to take in. The gravity of the diagnosis hits you as you learn in the many ways it's going to affect your loved one's life and yours. Hair loss is common to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and for many, a drastic change in appearance can even mean a loss of identity. The Instagram user @tycho.vk who goes by Tycho was heartbroken to learn his mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. When his mother decided to shave her head in anticipation of the hair loss, she designated her son, Tycho, to shave her head. 

Tycho felt helpless as he watched his mother come to terms with the diagnosis. He wanted to help but didn't know how to support her. As took the trimmer and was about to shave his Mom's head, he decided to shave his own to show her she wasn't alone. He captured it on video to document the moment and subsequently posted it on Instagram where it went viral garnering more than 20K likes. In the video, he wrote, "My Mom had to shave her head because of chemotherapy but I didn't want her to feel alone." Even as he starts shaving his head, his mother doesn't quite realize what's going on. She then looks up at the mirror to see her son shaving his head. "What are you doing?" she says before turning to him. She then helps him shave the rest of his head. The video ends with both of them posing with their shaven heads. "Zero regrets. I love you," he wrote. 

Many wished his mother well and wrote sweet comments beneath the video. "I pray the Lord Almighty heals your mom, restoring her strength and health causing her to be cancer-free for the rest of her life," wrote Natalie. "Crying! You are the sweetest son 😭 God bless your mum on her journey. Sending love & healing vibes," wrote Erin. 

He responded to the sweet comments and love. "A while back my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer," wrote Tycho. "For a long time, I felt powerless because I couldn't do anything to help. After a while, the time came when I had to shave off my mother's hair. Here, I finally found a moment to do something to show that she is not alone: ​​shave my own hair too. I wanted her reaction on video as a reminder. I put this memory on social media, with my mother's permission. I never expected the reach of the video," he wrote. 

Tycho also said that he was going to participate in a marathon in Eindhoven, Netherlands to raise money for cancer research. "I am going to run against cancer, along with many others, during the Marathon in Eindhoven. I'm participating to raise money for cancer research. Money that is very much needed, because 1 in 3 people in the Netherlands is still diagnosed with cancer," he wrote. "I want to raise as much money as possible for cancer research. In this way, I still have the feeling that I can do something against this disease."

Hair loss happens because chemotherapy affects all cells in the body, and is not limited to just the cancer cells. Hair loss, or thinning can depend on the drugs and dosage, according to Chemocare. Hair loss may occur as early as the second or third week after the first cycle of chemotherapy, although it may not happen until after the second cycle of chemotherapy. It can be sudden or slow.