40 Boxes: Save up to 30% on these new items!

Open menu

  • Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • GMA3: WYNTK
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • © 2023 ABC News
  • Living

17-year-old headed to Air Force Academy donates hair to children with cancer

VIDEO: Stage 4 cancer hasn’t stopped this man from training for Ironman triathlon
5:08
Stage 4 cancer hasn’t stopped this man from training for Ironman triathlon
ABCNews.com
ByAryana Azari
Video byElisa Tang
June 02, 2021, 9:26 am

One teen spent his Memorial Day weekend cutting all his hair off for a good cause.

Kieran Moïse, 17, from Alabama, is heading to the Air Force Academy in Colorado this fall. When he starts school, he’ll need to have all of his hair shaved off.

Instead of letting that hair go to waste, Moïse decided to donate it to a nonprofit called Children with Hair Loss. The organization provides free human hair replacements to children and young adults who’ve lost their hair due to medical reasons.

“When I knew it was going off anyways, I wanted to do something good with it,” Moïse told “Good Morning America.”

PHOTO: Before and after photos of Kieran Moise, 17, of his hair cut on May 29, 2021.
Before and after photos of Kieran Moise, 17, of his hair cut on May 29, 2021.
Courtesy Kieran Moise

Moïse hadn’t had a real haircut in over six years and when he cut his hair on May 29, it was 19 inches long.

“I tried to get it as long as I could,” he said.

Editor’s Picks

6-year-old with leukemia is world’s youngest UPS driver

  • May 07, 2021

Doctors warn cancers are going undiagnosed amid COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what you can do to decrease the risk.

  • Aug 06, 2020

Mom gets outpouring of love from Twitter after revealing she has to tell her son she is dying

  • May 14, 2021

In 2019, Moïse attended a cancer fundraising event hosted in conjunction with the St. Baldrick's Foundation. A number of people were going up and shaving their heads completely bald, which inspired him.

“It was this huge thing and I knew I wanted to be a part of that,” he said.

MORE: Doctors warn cancers are going undiagnosed amid COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what you can do to decrease the risk.

When limitations on in-person gatherings and events were put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Moïse had to come up with his own way to help out.

Along with the physical hair donation, Moïse started a fundraiser through St. Jude’s Hospital called Kieran’s Curls for Cancer. His goal was to raise $1,000 per inch of hair for St. Jude’s, and at the time of publication, he has raised $25,865.

Moïse said the reasoning behind his choice to raise money for St. Jude’s -- a leading children’s hospital known for treating cancer among other pediatric diseases -- and donate his hair to Children with Hair Loss is personal.

MORE: Doctor erases cancer patients' medical debt totaling $650,000

“My friend Josh -- things got bad and he passed away in December of our eighth-grade year,” Moïse said.

According to him, St. Jude’s helped his friend’s family out while Josh battled cancer.

“I've always wanted to help support cancer fundraising,” he said.

Editor’s Picks

6-year-old with leukemia is world’s youngest UPS driver

  • May 07, 2021

Doctors warn cancers are going undiagnosed amid COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what you can do to decrease the risk.

  • Aug 06, 2020

Mom gets outpouring of love from Twitter after revealing she has to tell her son she is dying

  • May 14, 2021
Up Next in Living—

What happened at Megan Rapinoe’s final USWNT game

September 25, 2023

Reunite with your cash: How to find out if you have unclaimed money

September 25, 2023

Nearly 50,000 mattresses sold at Costco recalled

September 22, 2023

Broadway actor gets last-minute 'magic carpet ride' to 'Aladdin' show

September 20, 2023

Up Next in Living—

What happened at Megan Rapinoe’s final USWNT game

September 25, 2023

Reunite with your cash: How to find out if you have unclaimed money

September 25, 2023

Nearly 50,000 mattresses sold at Costco recalled

September 22, 2023

Broadway actor gets last-minute 'magic carpet ride' to 'Aladdin' show

September 20, 2023

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap

© 2023 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 

© 2023 ABC News