"Going bald in honor of Jalene!"

God has such a funny way of making things happen at just the right time.  Many weeks ago one of the PACU nurses at the hospital asked Rowan if he would come shave that nurses hair for the St. Baldrick's Head Shaving Event at the South Texas Alamo Irish Festival at Incarnate Word University, to raise money for Childhood Cancer Research.  Rowan said he would do it of course.  Well, the event was today, and today was the perfect day for it.  Rowan decided the day before yesterday that he wanted to have his shaved too...for his sweet friend Jalene who is at the end of her fight with brain cancer.  And we are so grateful for Trey, Dr. Quezada, Dr. Falcon, and the event coordinators that made it possible for him to do just that...for his precious friend Jalene...

Here are Rowan and Trey in their "before" pictures...

I was so proud of my big boy...

He got before pictures taken with Dr. Quezada and some of his favorite nurses from Clinic & Hem/Onc/Transplant floor of the hospital too...

It was a really a cool Irish festival! There was an Irish band playing, Irish food, bagpipes, Gaelic Football, etc.  So fun.  But the best part was the head shaving event to raise money for Childhood Cancer Research, sponsored by St. Baldrick's Foundation.

It was so exciting and inspiring.

Here is Trey getting his shaved by Rowan first (with the help of a barber:).

So awesome!

  Next up was Rowan!

Since Rowan was a last minute entry, and had not fundraised for months in advance, like the other entrants, Dr. Falcon had a great idea.

She had the band stop and make a special announcement about what Rowan was doing for his friend.  They told everyone how Rowan was having his head shaved for Jalene, who was at the end of her battle, and that Rowan needed donations to help him help St. Baldrick's raise more money to help kids like Jalene.  Then, Dr. Falcon walked around collecting money by hand for Rowan's head shaving, in sweet Jalene's honor.

The crowd really got involved.  Lots of folks crowded around to watch.  It was so special.  

Dr. Quezada did the first few shaves, at Rowan's request.

Then the barber took over.

Such a brave, kind, thoughtful, handsome, bald boy!

And the best part...

Dr. Falcon came back up front with a green basket FILLED with cash donations.

$398.00 as a matter of fact! All donated in a matter of minutes from the crowd!

Love you for doing this Rowan, and love you more Jalene for inspiring him to do it, without even knowing it:)

So proud of...

...all of you!

Especially my "Irish boy" Rowan...

 

We are honored and blessed to have such caring physicians...

Nurses...

And most importantly friends...

The part that makes this even more special is that you all have no idea how much Rowan has insecurities about his head/scalp.  He doesn't think he looks good with a bald head...but he did it anyway.  He said on the way home, "I know I don't look good, but it's for such a good cause, and it's for Jalene, so it was worth it."  I told him that he did look good, and that yes raising nearly $400 in 5-10 minutes was VERY good.  He said, "Yeah, I saw all that cash.  I would have even put in my credit card, if I had one.  Anything, so Jalene wouldn't have to go through this.  Or any other kids either."

Sweet boy.  When we got home and I was changing him into his pajamas, he asked me to take pictures of his scars on his head.  Then, I knew why he thought he didn't look good.  See, Rowan has had multiple surgeries on his brain, skull, and spine.  He has had 2 Chiari malformation surgeries, has a VP shunt, and had a couple revisions on that as well.  So, he obviously has lots and lots of scars.  All of his brain, skull and spine surgeries were between the ages of 3 and 5, so right around Jalene's age.  Maybe that is another reason he feels for her so strongly.

See, he's been bald many times before...just never by choice.  Jalene, he CHOSE to do this today, to support you and to help defeat this nasty disease.

These are the pictures I took of his scalp, to show him his scars...only because he asked me too though.  They look beautiful to me (and I told him so), because they show how strong he is, and all he has come through in short 8 years.

 

After he saw them and we talked for a minute he finally agreed,  "Yeah, I know my hair will grow back.  And like that lion picture said, 'scars are just proof that I am stronger than what tried to hurt me'.  I'm really happy I did it....Do you think $400 can save at least one kids life?"  I told him, "If everyone raised $400, yeah, I bet that could save lots of lives actually!"

So proud of you Rowan.  And so blessed to know you Jalene.  You are both two of the most courageous kids I know.

And if you ask me,

bald isn't just beautiful...

it's brave, it's courageous, it's how we all wish we could be!

We should wear our scars proudly, and carry our friends burdens whenever possible.

Love you Jalene.