Gracie Harada found the perfect way to honor her friend 11-year-old Kylie Nguyen, who was battling leukemia.
“We had read this book called ‘The Lemonade Club’ (written by Patricia Polacco) a week before Kylie was diagnosed. It talks about friendship and how one friend shaves her head for the other,” said Gracie’s mom, Cindy Harada. “And we said what about donating your hair?”
The 10-year-old had her long, dark hair shorn for a donation to Locks of Love during a visit to Atrium Salon in Granite Bay.
The salon treated Gracie and Kylie to a spa day that included manicures and a haircut.
“It’s nice, she deserves it,” said Kylie’s mother, Christine Nguyen. “She’s been through a lot in the last 2 1/2 years and so it’s nice for her to have a little pampering.”
Kylie was diagnosed in 2010 and underwent chemotherapy, resulting in the loss of her hair. Her cancer went into remission in September.
Harada said the girls have not stopped talking about their spa day.
“I wish I could have had a video of the whole day because there were a few times when the two girls would look at each other with the most unforgettable candid looks that would of either made you laugh or cry,” she said.
~ Staff report