A cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy has been left 'overwhelmed' by a kind-hearted barber - when he surprised her by shaving his own head as he did hers 'so she's not fighting alone'.
Caroline Ross was sick of 'looking like Worzel Gummidge' after treatment caused her hair to thin and fall out, so she anxiously headed to Huntsman Barbers, in Blaby, Leicestershire, to have it removed.
The 58-year-old, who being treated for bowel cancer for the second time in four years, didn't question why salon owner Andi Bica wanted to film his work, but her nerves quickly switched to astonishment when she realised.
Andi Bica, left, and his cousin Kledian Peci, right, decided to shave off their own hair in solidarity with Caroline Ross at Huntsman Barbers, in Blaby, Leicestershire
Ms Ross,58, had asked barber Mr Bica, left, to shave off her hair as she is undergoing chemotherapy for bowel cancer which caused her hair to thin and fall out
Emotional footage shows Mr Bica begin shaving her thinning blonde locks with clippers until he stops to announce he 'doesn't want to leave her alone' so he and cousin Kledian Peci will go bald to support her.
Ms Ross clasps her hand over her mouth and shouts 'no way' in shock as 21-year-old Kledian, who was standing behind her, starts shaving his hair off before 30-year-old Mr Bica, 30, pauses work to join in.
Mr Bica then gives her a hug and a masked kiss on the head before telling her 'you'll be alright' before finishing the mother of one's cut without charging her a penny.
Ms Ross, a former chef and night club owner said the pair's actions earlier this month put her at ease after dreading cutting her hair off, and she's hailed them heroes for giving her the confidence to 'walk with pride'.
She posted the video on Instagram and TikTok where it's been viewed more than half a million times, with users praising Mr Bica as 'inspirational' and 'heartwarming' but the humble barber claims he just wanted to help.
Ms Ross, from Blaby, said: 'I didn't expect it at all. It was incredible. It took my mind off me having my head shaved. It was an emotional moment and that put me at ease.
'I was more shocked about him cutting his hair than I was about how my hair looked. It was overwhelming and I felt quite teary.
'What lovely lads. I'm still shocked and it's still making me smile.
Ms Ross used to spend £80 having her hair cut and coloured every couple of months, but stopped when it started to thin out as a result of her cancer treatment
Ms Ross, pictured before her cancer treatment, said her hair used to 'beautifully thick' but the drug cocktail left her 'looking like Worzel Gummidge'
'My hair used to be beautifully thick. The first time I had chemo I lost hair but not significantly, but this time I lost more hair.
'I kept putting a cap on because I looked like Worzel Gummidge.
'I was getting lots of horrible stares. They were staring at me with my horrible freaky hair. You could see my bald scalp through the rest of the hair.
'When I decided to get rid of it the hair salon in the village was closed, so I stood outside the barbers looking at the menu and Andi came out and spoke to me.
'My heart was pounding, I've never been inside a barber's. I told him about my chemo and he asked if I minded him videoing it. I just thought he might put it on his Facebook.
'I've not worn a cap since. I'm walking proud. It's upsetting losing your hair, but now it's bald I won't see it falling out anyway.'
Ms Ross had stage four bowel cancer in 2018 but she was given the all-clear after its removal, however at a regular check-up in January she was told it had returned around her liver and bowels.
She used to spend around £80 having her hair cut and coloured every couple of months, but her latest round of chemotherapy left her hating how she looked.
Mr Baci, who moved from Albania 11 years ago, said: 'Once I'd heard why she was here I just thought about the idea in that moment.
'I didn't want her to find out so I spoke to my cousin in my own language and he was more than happy so we just took it from there. It was nice to see she was so surprised.
Ms Ross, from Blaby, Leicestershire, said: 'It was incredible. It took my mind off me having my head shaved. It was an emotional moment and that put me at ease.'
Ms Ross said Mr Bica and Mr Peci's decision to shave their own heads turned her negative experience into a positive
'It just turned her mood from negative to positive and everywhere she's going to go she's going to talk about it. That'll make things easier for her.
'I've never shaved my head before. My hair's thin as it is, so I'm trying to cover my bald patches. But it'll grow back, so at least I've made someone happy.
'My mum died of covid around six months ago and I know how hard things can be. I wanted to give her a bit of support. You need to be positive to fight everything.'
Despite claiming she's embracing her new style, Ms Ross, who has four months left of her 10-month chemotherapy treatment, hopes this is the last time she'll need to shave her hair.
Her Instagram post said: 'How to turn a negative into a positive. I lost so much hair due to chemo treatment, so on Wednesday AUGUST 11 I decided to be brave and go for the shave.
'I didn't tell anyone. I just went to the local barbers, Huntsman, and said to shave it off. I told them why and he asked if he could video it. "Of course", I said.
'Shockingly, in support, they shaved off their own hair! Awesome but crazy barbers. I'm embracing it.'
User princess_sazza commented: 'I love this! People coming together to support each other. This is what it should be like. Strangers doing this for another stranger going through chemo.
'It warms my heart and shows me that there is still good in the world. I'm sorry for what you're going through and I hope and pray for a full recovery for you.'
Another added: 'Inspirational, all of you.'
