North Kingstown teen shaves head to show support for her mom battling cancer
NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WJAR) — A 19 year-old North Kingstown woman gave a gift to her mom that most people wouldn't think to give.
51-year-old Mary Artery, a mother of two, works as a nurse practitioner with cancer patients.
In 2020, she felt a lump in her breast. Then, she learned she had breast cancer.
After a speedy treatment, she recovered and found herself in remission for almost four years.
Then, at the end of January she learned the cancer came back.
“I got the biopsy and I was reading the room and I’m like, 'Yeah, this isn’t gonna be good," said Artery. “I had my mammogram and they’re like, 'We don’t like something on the mammogram' So, they did biopsy and all the stuff and they’re like, 'Yeah, it’s not good. You’re going to need chemo, surgery, maybe some radiation, all that stuff."
According to Artery, this time around things, would be more challenging. And unlike before, it was recommended she shave her head for treatment since she was told her hair would fall out at rapid speed.
Instead of shaving it all off, first, she decided to cut it shorter, a little above her shoulders.
She felt comfortable booking an appointment with her long-time hairdresser, Ashely Reis.
“To be able to offer that experience with somebody and hold space with them is just an incredible opportunity that I can't even speak clearly about," said Reis. “We took the opportunity to showcase how she could show her beauty to the rest of the world without all of her hair."
Reis, works out of a private studio in East Greenwich, 'Studio 1050.'
She's been a hairdresser and master stylist for 19 years, and it was during the beginning of her career that she met Artery, while she was pregnant with her now-daughter, Sophie.
“Probably close to 75% of my clientele has been with me from the very beginning and now I get the opportunity to do their family member's and it’s absolutely incredible," said Reis. “Honestly, the opportunity to be able to connect with people has been one of the most profound experiences for me."
To break the news about her cancer coming back, Artery took her daughter Sophie out to dinner.
“When I told Sophie that I had breast cancer again she’s like, 'Are you going to lose your hair?' and I was like, 'Yeah.' She’s like, 'I'm going to do it with you, I want do it,'" said Artery. "And I’m like, 'You don’t have to do that, that’s a lot, you're 19-years-old in college, you don’t have to do it."'
Sophie pondered with the idea, then called her mom back a week later saying she decided not to.
Then, after learning her mom had a hard time with getting her hair cut shorter, she decided she would surprise her.
“Originally, it was to solely just to support my mom because she had to shave her head and she wasn’t feeling too good about it so I was like, I’ll do it with her," said Sophie. "And then, I kind of found that I originally had been caring about other people's opinions about myself, and I found that shaving my head was proving that I don’t really care anymore."
Artery's first haircut came and went.
Prior to shaving her head, cutting it short was a lot to deal with, emotionally.
“I didn’t think it would affect me like getting my haircut or getting my head shaved. I thought it’s just here, it's going to come back. I didn’t think it would be an event, but it was. For me, it was like a big thing," said Artery. " It was like something that people can now see, like what I’m going through. I can’t hide it like all the other stuff like biopsies, the tests, everything else I could hide but getting my haircut and then getting my head shaved I couldn’t hide."
Having made the final decision in February to shave her head, Sophie secretly reached out to Reis.
“Oh, this is such a pivotal point as a hairdresser where you decide, Do I talk to somebody out of this? Or go all-in to this together and take this by the horns? said Reis. "And I said a few small phrases with her
Sophie booked the appointment with Reis.
She recorded a few seconds of the process and Reis didn't charge her a dime.
"When you stop and think about it for a moment and truly get to know what shaving the head offers people, and the support that gives somebody, somebody who’s actually going through their cancer journey, it’s profound. I mean she’s
Sophie and her dad surprised Artery and Sophie's sister with her new look.
Artery is shown on camera in shock, hugging and kissing Sophie's head.
"It was honestly what she deserved. I wish I could do more, but shaving my head that’s all I can do. If I can do more, that’s what I’ll do," said Sophie.
“To do this for me, like, I couldn’t believe it. It was amazing," said Artery.
Instead of prolonging getting her head shaved, Artery booked the appointment for two days later.
“She texted me later that she got her head shaved and she wasn’t even sad about it, that made everything worth it," said Sophie.
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Sophie and Artery said since their new haircuts, they've received lots of compliments, many people have told them they look like twins.
The greatest compliment Sophie can receive.
“She has always paved the way for me. She actually studied nursing URI, which is exactly what I’m doing, studying nursing URI. I’ve always looked up to her and wanted to be like her, even though I never really tell her that," said Sophie.
“Some days are really good. Other days are like real bad and just having someone have your back like that it’s just it’s amazing," said Artery. "And to know like when the bad days come I can just look at her, and look at my family, and be like 'I got this.”