Watch heartfelt moment teen with cancer is gifted new wig. ‘What a pure sweet soul’
A 13-year-old girl with cancer has captivated TikTok — as well as workers at a Georgia hair salon.
The Arkansas teen, Kaylee Walker, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2022. Treating the bone cancer caused the girl’s hair to fall out.
So before she began her new school year, Kaylee traveled to Georgia Hair Solutions in Jackson to purchase a new wig.
She left with not only a wig, but a viral moment.
Alongside salon owner Diana Cowen, Kaylee tried on multiple wigs in a TikTok to see what she liked best. She initially was not a fan of a blonde hair piece she tried on, instead favoring a brunette wig.
But when she put the blonde wig on again, suddenly Kaylee had a difficult decision to make.
Before Kaylee made her decision, Cowen had a surprise for the teen.
“Everybody over there said they wanted to pitch in, and we got it for free,” Cowen told the girl and her family. “Every single one of them said, ‘Please, I want to be anonymous, but I want to pay.’ So you get to choose any one you want.”
Cowen told KARK the girl’s personality won over the staff, causing them to fall in love with her.
The choice of blonde versus brunette was decided after Cowen curled the blonde hair piece.
“This is the one,” Kaylee said, smiling after trying the newly styled blonde wig on for a third time.
More than 5 million TikTok users have watched the video, many of whom were taken aback by Kaylee’s “precious soul.”
“What a pure sweet soul,” one commenter said. “Praying for your healing Kaylee.”
“She’s so sweet and respectful and beautiful and brave, this made me tear up,” said another commenter.
TikTokers even asked how they could chip in to purchase Kaylee the brunette wig, the piece she was initially enthralled by. The users ensured Kaylee would get both wigs, KARK reported.
“Honestly, it’s more than we ever would imagine,” Cowen told the station. “All day we are getting in donations, and it’s allowed us to do this with other kids.”
Kaylee told KARK she was “so shocked and... so grateful” for the reaction and gifts she received.
She is hoping for another gift — a cancer-free diagnosis. Kaylee said she will get a scan Oct. 9 to see if she is in remission.