Do you have a couple tissues handy? No, really. Do you? Because you are definitely going to need them in about 60 seconds.
Earlier today, Rockets forward Chandler Parsons took to Instagram to show off a new look that he's sporting. That look? A shaved head. When Parsons played against the Mavericks last night, he looked like this:
But now, his hair is gone. That's not what's going to make you tear up, though. But the reasoning behind Parsons' new look probably will.
You see, Parsons didn't shave his head to try and reinvent himself. He also didn't do it as part of a makeover. And he didn't do it because he lost some sort of bet. Rather, Parsons shaved off all of his hair, because—are you ready for this?—he has formed a relationship with a young fan named Patrick Hobbs-DeClaire who is suffering with stage 4 cancer. And the kid has been feeling down lately because he doesn't have any hair and doesn't look like his friends. So Parsons took it upon himself to make the kid feel better by shaving his head.
"The kid is so strong and so brave," Parsons told Rockets.com this afternoon. "Here I am going to see a podiatrist for an ingrown toenail and this kid is battling for his life. How he handles it is incredible. It's similar to what we do: He tries to not look ahead and he tries to not look behind. He game plans for every single day and every day is a new day and a new challenge. He just tries to plan and do what he's got to do for that day to survive."
And today, that included convincing an NBA player to shave his head to support his cause. What a heartwarming story. Sniffle.
RELATED: Interview: Chandler Parsons Talks Houston Rockets Upcoming Season, His Style, and Dwight Howard
[via SB Nation]
