A mom battling cancer thought she was just seeing her daughter’s new haircut, but she was stunned to learn the hair had been donated to make a wig for her.
Brooke Skinner, 30, from Annapolis, Maryland, said that as soon as she heard the sad news of her mom Teresa’s breast cancer diagnosis, she knew, deep down, that her mom would be most devastated about the prospect of losing her hair.
Teresa, 69, is a strong woman, Brooke said, so she would perhaps not outwardly express this, but once the pair had finished a call breaking the news, Brooke burst into tears before deciding she wanted to do something to help.
The 30-year-old had long hair at the time, and so she immediately started looking into ways she could donate her hair to make a wig for her mother.
To Brooke’s surprise, such companies did exist, and having found a wigmaker, she raised funds online and booked an appointment with her stylist.
Teresa had not seen her daughter’s social media posts to raise funds for the wig, so Brooke decided to plan a surprise to break the news to her.
She told her mother she was popping by on October 11, 2025, to show off her new haircut, and, on arrival, asked, “Do you like my hair?”
A supportive Teresa replied that she did, and so Brooke asked her mom if she would like to have it on her head.
At that point, Brooke pulled out a bag of her hair to break the news to her mom, who immediately welled up at the supportive gesture.
Brooke captured the moment on video, before sharing it on social media.
Teresa went on to have her hair cut off and completed her chemotherapy over the months that followed, before Brooke’s wig arrived in January for her mother to wear.
When she received it, Teresa beamed with happiness, while Brooke said it felt like a full-circle moment: someone who her mom had birthed, watched grow and supported was giving something back.
Speaking exclusively to Happilynews.com about the surprise, Brooke said: “Seeing my mom in utter shock and gratitude was a priceless feeling.
“I knew she had no idea and so seeing her try to process what I did for her was so special.
“I could feel how much love she had for me just by her facial reactions.
“The comments talking about how they can see the love my mom and I have for each other have been my most favorite.
“I know it’s bringing a positive light to social media which isn’t always that way.”
