Most children at seven years old are investing their time into 7-year-old things, but not Vinny Desautels. Vinny, who was only seven at the time, decided that he wanted to grow his hair out. Why? Because he wanted to donate it to be made into wigs for children with cancer.
He learned about cancer from his mom, who, at the time was volunteering to style cancer survivors’ hair for a local lymphoma foundation gala. He asked her what she was doing and she told him about cancer and how it causes people to sometimes lose their hair.
After hearing that, he asked her, “can I grow my hair out [to donate]?
How sweet, right?!
So Vinny spent two years growing his hair for these children; during which he was teased and taunted by other children. That wasn’t enough to make little Vinny back down though –he kept at it!
This is where things took a turn for the worst.
Vinny’s hair had grown 13 inches and been shipped off to Wigs for Kids when shortly after that, Vinny’s parents took him to the emergency room for pain in his knee and then again for a swollen eye–only to find out that little Vinny had cancer himself.
After a lot of tests, doctors, and waiting, the family learned that Vinny has Stage 4 aggressive cancer. According to The Washington Post, doctors are almost certain that it’s Ewing’s sarcoma, “a rare cancer that manifests in the bone or soft tissue.”
Vinny, unfortunately is leaning about cancer a second time. Except this time, from the perspective of a cancer patient.
God works in mysterious ways. Like Vinny, we are hopeful that a silver lining appears sooner than later.
Little Vinny is in our prayers and we applaud him for his bravery and good deed!
Source: Fox 5 NY, http://www.fox5ny.com/health/139441630-story
TSR Intern: Chantel P.! @_popchanny on IG!
