Nanaimo Christian School student Michael Kamerman was attending a school play when he had a moment of realization.
“All of a sudden I had this conviction that I had to shave my head,” Kamerman said.
For weeks, his mother had been bugging him to cut his hair.
“My mom always said ‘shave your head’ because she hated the way it looked,” he said. “When I told her ‘no’ over and over again it was really God saying ‘no.’”
Kamerman then decided he wouldn’t just shave his head at a barber shop – he would shave his head in front of fellow students and staff members in an event that would help raise money for Emma Reid, a 14-year-old Nanaimo Christian School student, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer earlier this year.
Last week, Kamerman and dozens of other students and staff shaved their heads in support of Reid.
Principal James Sijpheer said he’s proud of how staff and students supported one of their own.
“I am incredibly proud of our community that we rallied around somebody in this way, whether it’s the finances or shaving our heads,” Sijpheer said. “We’re called to love each other and this really shows that.”
Reid was diagnosed with a brain tumour in her parietal lobe in early March and just days after receiving a diagnosis, Reid and her family were sent to B.C. Children’s Hospital.
Since then, Reid has undergone weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. Reid was in attendance for the event and sat beside her friends. She said she appreciates all the support that people have given her.
“It makes me feel really good that everyone cares,” Reid said. “It’s really fun to watch.”
Reid said it is those close to her who have been her biggest supporters and motivators.
“My motivation is actually all of my friends and family,” she said. “The hardest part is probably being away from them (friends) so much with the treatment.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Reid and her family and has received more than $15,000 in donations in three months.
To donate, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/bcreidfamily.