13-year-old Kelsey Frederick’s dad cut all his daughter’s hair off after she got highlights for her birthday. And many people feel the harsh punishment went way too far!
Parenting isn’t an easy job. Co-parenting can be even trickier. But Christin Johnson of Fostoria, Ohio, thought she and her ex, Schaffen, were doing a good job of it.
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Schaffen, a firefighter, had gone on to find love with a woman who worked with him at the fire station. While Kelsey spent much of her time at her mom’s, she also stayed with her dad and stepmom frequently. They all got along and Kelsey was happy to see her dad happy.
But sadly, all of that changed when Kelsey’s 13th birthday arrived and the dad cut his daughter’s hair off.
Teen’s Birthday Wish
Kelsey Frederick already knew she’d be celebrating her birthday twice — once with mom and once with dad. That’s how it worked every year.
This year, Christin Johnson decided to let her teen daughter pick her own birthday present. To her surprise, Kelsey asked to add highlights into her long, dark hair.
Christin decided to grant her daughter’s birthday wish and took her to a salon. And the results delighted both Kelsey and her mom.
Unfortunately, her dad had a very different reaction.
Kelsey loved her new look. And she must have been so excited to show it off to her father when she went to stay with him and her stepmom for the next few days for the second round of her birthday celebration.
But that’s when things took a terrible turn.
Angry Dad Cut’s Daughter’s Hair As Punishment
Apparently, Schaffen and his partner didn’t approve of the highlights. And so, they took Kelsey to another salon where her dad had them cut soo of his daughter’s hair off.
When Kelsey returned to Christin’s doorstep, she was devastated. She sobbed and, with all of her hair gone, didn’t even want to take her hands away from her face.
Outraged, Christin jumped in the car and drove to Schaffen’s house, demanding an explanation. According to what Christin shared online, Schaffen didn’t agree with Kelsey’s new look. Allegedly, he felt by forcing her to cut off all her hair, she’d learn that “actions have consequences.”
After venting her frustration online, Christin’s post sparked an online firestorm of controversy. Just about everyone felt cutting all of the teen’s hair was a cruel punishment.
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Some folks thought 13 was too young for highlights but agreed the extreme cut was going too far. Some even considered it a form of child abuse. One party even went so far as to report Scaffen and his wife to the authorities.
But pretty much everyone Kelsey shouldn’t have been the one to suffer. The real dispute was between Christin and Schaffen.
As a result of the incident, Kelsey moved in with her mom permanently.
Community Rallies To Uplift Traumatized Teen
While the situation caused a lot of heated reactions and debates, it also inspired kindness. Rather than blast the parents, plenty of people focused on lifting the teen’s spirits. They spoke words of encouragement, reminding Kelsey she’s still just as beautiful as before.
Kelsey left her father’s house abruptly. After what he did, the girl didn’t want to return to his home, even to pick up the possessions she kept there.
Originally, Kelsey split her time 50/50 between her mom and dad, so half of all she owned remained at her dad’s house. Now that she wasn’t ever going back, Kelsey’s aunt, Kelly Johnson, started a fundraiser on her niece’s behalf. She set a goal of $1,000 so Kelsey could replace the clothes and items left behind, as well as seek help from a salon with her hair.
So many people wanted to help Kelsey, the fundraiser ended up blowing past the $1,000 goal. In fact, one anonymous donor contributed $2,000 alone!
In the meantime, Haley, Christin’s lifetime friend and Kelsey’s godmother, was working on hair solutions.
Special Angels Help After Dad Cuts Daughter’s Hair
Haley brought Christin and Kelsey to the sale where she works, Lady Jane’s in Toledo, Ohio. There, a group of stylists were ready to help Kelsey feel confident in her own hair again!
“When she first came in, she came in with her hood on. She didn’t want anyone to see her. She was feeling pretty embarrassed,” one of the stylists, Shannon Vanderhorst, said.
But then these sweet ladies used their God-given artistic talents to guide Kelsey to a solution while waiting for her hair to grow back. And the results were amazing!
The caring stylists guided the teen to a custom wig to mimic her old hairstyle (before the highlights) to help her feel more like herself. They also treated the teen to getting her makeup done so she could feel extra dolled up that day.
“She loved it - there was light in her eyes,” Shannon said.
It’s a shame Kelsey had to go through such an awful experience. The greatest tragedy to the dad cutting off his daughter’s hair is the damage he did to the relationship with his child. But it’s beautiful to see how family, friends, and strangers alike came together to support Kelsey.
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Our God is the ultimate healer, and we pray He will be able to restore things for Kelsey and her dad. But even if things with Kelsey’s earthly dad never improve, she has a Heavenly Father who will never forsake her!
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h/t: Brides Blush
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Christin Johnson