Mother and son shaved

From the Times-Tribune, we get the story of Shannon McKeel, a woman who shaved her head at a recent Relay for Life event for the American Cancer Society.

Shannon McKeel’s hair is about a quarter of an inch long this week. That’s about a quarter of an inch longer than on June 5 and a good deal shorter than on June 4.

Shannon, 36, of White Mills, Wayne County, is not a cancer survivor, but she wants to make sure more people are. Shaving her head was Shannon’s way - for this year - to make a difference.

It's pretty common these days to know someone who is suffering with cancer, and Shannon is no exception.

Shannon’s mom, Patricia McKeel, passed away of cancer in 1999. Her mother was a strong woman who quickly moved away from hiding hair loss from treatment under hats, Shannon said. "I’m proud of it," she said of her shaved head. "I don’t hide it at all - if I did it to wear wig or wear a hat, what good would it be?"

The family connections to this event go both ways, too.

Shannon’s 9-year-old son and relay walking partner, Walker Day, had his head shaved about a week before the relay.

I imagine that the pair of them made for a cute couple. Shannon managed to raise over $6000 for the Relay for Life, which is excellent.