Carson City resident Von Holcomb went 15 years without cutting his hair. As soon as he found out his mom had cancer, he chopped off 16 inches and donated it so she could have a wig.
"I want to try to help my mom as much as I can," Holcomb said. "Who wouldn't do that?"
Holcomb found out his mom had cancer one week ago and wanted to have a wig made for her out of his hair. But on such short notice, he realized that wasn't possible. Individual wigs can take several weeks to make.
He said he hopes to donate his hair to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization, which makes wigs for child cancer patients. Holcomb is hoping the organization will make an exception for his mom and make her a wig.
But even if they can't, Holcomb said he still will donate his hair.
"Eventually it will help somebody," he said.
The last time Holcomb cut his hair he was 17 years old. But the 32-year-old Holcomb said it wasn't hard to do, and he didn't miss his long hair.
"I can have short hair for awhile," he said. "My mom's going to have real short hair."
While Holcomb didn't think his situation was anything out of the ordinary, Richard Bennett, a co-worker of Holcomb's, said he thought it was amazing.
"It inspired me," Bennett said. "I wish I would've known about that when I had long hair."
YOU CAN HELP
Locks of Love
1 (888) 896-1588
ON THE NET
locksoflove.org