All of this family shaved their heads to support 5-year-old cancer



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On October 29, Phoenix Children's Hospital in Arizona confirmed to Ashley Jewett and her family that her daughter Madi had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer of the blood. At the age of 5, Madi is among the 20% of children with leukemia in whom a specific diagnosis of AML was specifically diagnosed. The latter is known to metastasize quickly and require a rigorous and equally aggressive treatment.

Two weeks after the start of treatment, Madi began to experience hair loss. As she was losing her hair, she realized how different she was from the ones she knew and loved, her mother told HuffPost. After making the decision to cut her hair completely, Madi asked her mother, her father and other people who had supported her to do it in a particular way: by joining her to shave head to match his new style. They accepted with joy.

Madi's father, Chris, and his brother sit down for a haircut to show their support after treating acute myeloid leukemia

Alicia Samone Photography

Madi's father, Chris, and his brother sit down for a haircut to show their support after treating an acute myeloid leukemia that caused him to lose his hair.

Ashley Jewett gets her hair cut to show support for her 5-year-old daughter Madi, who is suffering from aggressive leukemia

Alicia Samone Photography

Ashley Jewett is having her hair cut to show support for her 5-year-old daughter Madi, who is undergoing aggressive treatment for leukemia.

Madi, with his mother and brother, watches his father prepare to cut his hair in solidarity.

Alicia Samone Photography

Madi, with his mother and brother, watches his father prepare to cut his hair in solidarity.

"I wanted her to know that it was not fair," Ashley told HuffPost. "And I wanted her to inspire others to go through this."

Madi's mother and her father, Chris, her grandfather and her little brother also shaved their heads. The results were captured in a series of photos of the photographer Alicia Atkins who became viral on Facebook

Madi's disease is a test for Ashley, who has to deal with an aspect of parenting she did not expect.

"I could be angry. I could be angry – and those emotions too – but be there for her and show her strength, that's why we did it, "she said. "And she feels so much better looking at me and seeing me being the same as her. It gives me the feeling that I can do something for her. "

Madi's grandfather sits down to cut his hair and show his support for his granddaughter.

Alicia Samone Photography

Madi's grandfather sits down to cut his hair and show his support for his granddaughter.

There has been a wave of support since the series of photos went live. The original message, published by the photographer, has been shared nearly 12,000 times and his comments are counted in the thousands.

Atkins, who has already photographed similar situations in the past, said the beauty of filming like Madi's is made possible by his willfully vulnerable subjects.

"It's not my story," she says. "It's their life, and all I can do is stay there and capture the moments that are happening in front of me."

Ashley and Madi admire their haircuts.

Alicia Samone Photography

Ashley and Madi admire their haircuts.

Despite Madi's initial nervousness about the shaving of the head and direction of filming, Atkins said the five-year-old could feel the support she had received.

"She has never been alone," she says.

Ashley insists that the tradition of support will continue for many years.

"I know she's going to get out of it," she said. "And I know that when she's older, we'll look back in the process and see that her family was there to support and support her at every step."

A GoFundMe campaign was launched on behalf of Madi. See here.

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