They Bullied Him For His Long Hair, But The Reason Why He Did It Left Them Ashamed

When Christian McPhilamy, an 8 year old boy, saw a commercial for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, he saw that many children were not only sick, but without hair. After his mom explained chemotherapy and its devastating side effects, Christian made a plan. He decided right then and there to grow his hair out long enough to donate to children in need.

His parents liked his idea, and after two years, this guy was rocking some 10-inch ponytails — perfect for bringing smiles to the faces that need them most.

Christian’s hair before the big cut.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Christian suffered a horrendous amount of bullying at school and outside, and not just by his peers. Even adults bullied him, calling him “a girl” and offered him money to get a “real haircut”.

Apparently for some people, a boy having long hair was deeply offensive to them, even when it was for a good cause. But Christian stayed strong…

Christian even tied up his hair into these ponytails to make it easier to collect the hair.

Here’s Christian right after the big cut! Haters gonna hate, but he just helped improve someone’s life!

Christian’s hair is banded, bagged, and ready to donate.

Despite the criticism and bullying, Christian stuck to his goal, letting his hair grow for two whole years before chopping it off. Donated hair has to be at least 10 inches long, and he didn’t stop until it reached that length.

He even took the time to explain his aim to people. “He held his head high and he never once said that he wanted to cut it off,” said his proud mother.

After the most epic haircut of the century, Christian smoothed things out with a classic buzz. Perfect for summer!

Christian’s family is incredibly proud of him. Not only did he reach his goal and help strangers who needed his help, he also didn’t let people and their narrow minds hold him back from doing what he knew was right. Christine Wong, COO of Children With Hair Loss – the charity that received Christian’s hair – was also impressed and very thankful. She said that only about one in 50 donations comes from a boy.

As for Christian, he’s happy to have short hair again, and even happier that he’s helped a child in need. So next time you hear someone getting bullied just because they don’t look the way society says they should, consider the fact that there might be a good reason behind it and stick up for them. Judging others is never a good idea.

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