By Jordan of Motherhood Collective
A mother in Cut & Shoot, Texas, has reportedly made the difficult decision to never have her child’s hair cut again. Sharon Wimple made the shocking discovery that her eighteen-month-old son Jason suffers from a rare genetic condition known as ‘Toddlerism,’ which results in him being able to feel the cuts made to every single strand of hair.
“For him, every haircut is basically an unmedicated amputation,” Wimple stated, as she stroked her child’s mini-mullet.
When asked how the condition was discovered, Wimple described taking her son for his first haircut where “he threw a tantrum, the likes of which [she’d] never seen.” Due to the child’s reaction, the stylist at the Super Clips located in the Broadway Square Shopping Center was unable to cut more than a few strands of hair.
“He’s usually such a docile child, so I knew something was wrong,” Wimple continued as her son repeatedly kicked her in the shins and screamed the word “No!”
Stylist Maria Alvarez recounts, “I’ve never seen anything like it. Most small children love coming in and sitting patiently while I cut their hair. If there’s anything a kid loves, it’s being still for long periods of time.”
Wimple felt there was no need for a formal doctor’s diagnosis, as she had read about the condition on a number of message boards, and all the mothers said their children suffered from the same symptoms Jason exhibited. She said other mothers on the sites have been very encouraging as she walks through this difficult time with her son.
Wimple’s father Patrick Grandy has a different opinion of Jason’s condition. “This is stupid. I mean, really, just the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life. Just put the kid in the chair, hold him down, and shave that mop off. He looks like a hippie.”
Wimple says her priority is to keep Jason’s life as normal as possible, and he is adjusting to the limitations caused by his diagnosis. Long-term, she plans to encourage him to join a NASCAR related group in the area, hoping that will be an environment in which he will be comfortable.
After the trauma of the event, Jason reportedly had trouble even being in the same shopping center as the Super Clips where the incident occurred. “We’ve been able to go in the smoke shop three doors down without him panicking, so we’re making progress all the time.”
When asked if she had any advice for other parents whose children suffer from this condition, she simply said, “Invest in a good conditioner.”
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About the Author
Jordan lives in Texas with her husband, two-year-old son, two cats, and one eternally patient dog. She has a special talent for finding a Steel Magnolias quote for every occasion and fancies herself a Clairee but is probably a Ouiser at heart. Find her at motherhoodcollective.blog and Facebook.