It was Charline Helmle’s turn in the makeshift barber chair’the room went silent.
‘Too quiet,? she said, waiting for her son Kyle to run the clippers over her scalp.
‘I sat down in the chair and said, ‘I’m not going to cry’everyone needs to cheer or just make a lot of noise. I don’t want to make this about me.? At that point the room just erupted. It made me laugh and after the third swipe over my head I was OK. I’m in control of this.?
On Nov. 13, Charline, 44, was given the news she had stage two breast cancer. Now after two surgeries to remove the growth, she was in her second week of chemotherapy, which would soon prompt hair loss.
‘I’m going to take my hair off before the chemotherapy takes it,? she said. ‘I can’t be negative about it. I worried I’d have a funny-shaped head’but one of the boys said, ‘you’re looking good’it’s a good-shaped head.?
Charline’s clip was courtesy of her son, Brandon swimmer senior Kyle Helmle, who asked his mother to join the boys in the tradition of head shaving just before the last swim meet of the season.
The close shave promotes bonding and can help prevent drag in the water for swimmers’it meant a lot more this time, said Kyle.
‘Some of the swim team was reluctant to have their head shaved? even me,? he said. ‘But 28 swimmers, almost the entire team got the clipping’even Coach joined us.?
Brandon Varsity Swimming Coach Todd Duncan said the shaved heads were all up to the kids.
‘Typically we meet at my house and a few of the swimmers shave their heads,? said Duncan, who founded both the girls and boys swim team at Brandon about eight years ago. ‘The team demonstrated support for Kyle’s mom and it brought us all closer’it’s a big deal for kids to have their heads shaved. For teenagers, appearance is everything.?
‘There were lots of shiny heads walking down the halls on Friday,? he said. ‘A lot of the team did not realize the tough time Kyle was going though until we all gathered in my basement for the shaving. It’s pretty amazing.?
The Blackhawk boys swim team finished third in the league after the 2008-09 season, and set nine of 12 new swimming records.
‘It was a wonderful experience that the boys included me in that event,? said Charline.