BEDFORD -- Tyler Nolan hardly complained when his head throbbed in pain.
The 8-year-old boy did not flinch when he learned he would undergo surgery in September to remove a brain tumor.But when his parents, Jim and Jan, broke the news to him that six months of chemotherapy would make his hair fall out, Tyler admitted for the first time that he felt scared.Word spread at Grapevine Elementary School, where Tyler is in third grade. Parents wondered what they could do to help. The boys started chatting, too."We decided we didn't want Tyler to do this by himself. He's been through a lot," said Grant Tomlinson, 9, a friend since kindergarten.On Sunday, one month after doctors removed the tumor from his brain, Tyler and about 30 of his classmates lined up at Salon7 in Bedford to shave their heads in solidarity.The shears came out, and hair started falling in wisps and clumps to the floor. Boys got wild and silly, stroking their heads and shrieking in laughter. Moms snapped pictures.The salon, which provided the haircuts for free, gave the boys the choice of going short, medium or long. Nearly all of the boys opted for the shortest cut.Jake Wiley, 8, said he was afraid when he learned that Tyler was sick. Cutting his hair was one small way he could help his friend."I was super-excited because I wanted to make Tyler feel good and happy," Jake said. "And I thought it would be cool to have a shaved head."Jim Nolan, Tyler's dad, shaved his own head and posed for photos with Tyler and his younger brother, Reilly, 7.Since the diagnosis, friends have delivered homemade meals, spent nights at the hospital and helped the family function, Nolan said."People have been unbelievable," Nolan said. "It has restored my faith in humankind."In a chair in the front of the salon, Tyler sat still and straight, never taking his eyes off the mirror, as a stylist chopped off his light brown locks."What do you think?" she finally asked him.He didn't say a word, but his freckled face broke into a big grin.Sarah Bahari, 817-390-7056Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
