Son donates hair to his mom who has been battling a recurrent brain tumor for nearly 20 years

What began as a lighthearted comment turned into one of the most touching gifts a mother could receive from her son.

In Arizona, a man dedicated nearly three years to growing out his hair with the intention of donating it to his mother, who had lost her hair due to radiation treatments.

“It’s a no-brainer,” said Matt Shaha. “She gave me the hair in the first place.”

For years, Melanie Shaha dealt with a benign brain tumor. “I have had a recurrent benign brain tumor, a pituitary tumor, and I’ve had surgery twice in 2003 and in 2006,” she explained.

Although her two surgeries were successful, the tumor reappeared in 2017, leading to her needing radiation treatment.

“I asked my doctor, ‘Will I lose my hair?’ and they said ‘No,’” Melanie recalled. But three months later, she began losing her hair.

“Not having hair makes you stand out, and well-meaning people often say things that break your heart,” she told Today. “I don’t mind being sick, but I mind looking sick. I’d rather blend in and not stand out at the store.”

Shortly after she began losing her hair, her 27-year-old son joked that he would grow his hair out and make a wig for her.

While it was a generous offer, Melanie didn’t want to place that burden on her son. However, Matt saw it differently. He spent the next two and a half years growing out his hair. When it reached the right length, he and some coworkers went to his mom’s house to cut it off.

“We were super pumped, and when they started cutting, we bawled,” Melanie said.

Matt even paid $2,000 to have the wig made. They found a wigmaker who hand-stitched the hair, resulting in a lighter and more comfortable wig. Once Melanie received the wig, she had it cut and styled.

“Seeing her in it, it’s the first time I had seen my mom look like that since she lost her hair, so it’s been about four years,” Matt said.

Melanie, delighted with her new look, admitted that it would be hard to top her son’s gift. “It sure fills your emotional cup.”