Kate is fighting brain cancer for the second time. Losing her hair has been one of the things that hurt her the most, so she was devastated when she was told she couldn’t wear her wig at school.
Going through cancer is possibly one of the most difficult situations a person can face. It is such a terrible and devastating illness that every day it claims thousands of lives around the world. Those who have it fight to survive and overcome the disease.
One week before starting her senior year of high school, Kate made the decision to shave all her hair, as chemotherapy had already taken most of it. In an emotional video she shared on her YouTube channel, she showed the painful process of shaving her head, saying, “Losing your hair is always one of the hardest parts of having cancer.”
One of the teenager’s biggest fears was having to attend school completely bald. It was simply something she didn’t want to go through, as she has always loved hairstyles and changing her look.
“I know hair isn’t the most important thing in the world, but it makes me sad and reminds me that I’m really going through cancer. Honestly, it really bothers me because I can’t express myself through the way I wear my hair like I once did,” the girl wrote on her Facebook account.
For that reason, she bought a turquoise-colored wig that makes her feel beautiful and good about herself. But she was in for a big surprise when her school told her she couldn’t wear it because it violated the dress code. It took her several days to find a wig she felt comfortable with, and when she finally did, she couldn’t believe the school wouldn’t allow her to wear it.
“After a few days of searching, I was able to hide my baldness and show my strength with a two-tone wig, turquoise and black, symbolizing confidence, integrity, and power to help me get through the storm,” Pepper said in a letter she wrote to McKinney ISD in Dallas.
Fortunately for the girl, the letter she posted on social media reached Dan Patrick, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, who through his Twitter account asked the school to allow Kate to wear her wig.
“I support clear rules for students, but I ask McKinney ISD to make an exception to its dress code and allow Kate Pepper to wear her beautiful wig. I will send a formal communication to the district tomorrow,” Dan wrote.
The lieutenant governor’s intervention worked, and starting the following Monday, Katilyn was able to wear her wig without any problems. She is very happy and relieved, as the wig means a lot to her.
“This wig makes me feel normal, confident, and somehow beautiful during a time when so many things are happening to me that I can’t control. This wig empowers me, and although it’s a subtle color, it gives me enough strength not to grieve my hair loss—it gives me the strength I need to fight,” the student added.nzar a usar su peluca sin ningún problema, la chica está muy feliz y aliviada, ya que esa peluca significa mucho para ella.
