A barber based in Cincinnati, Ohio, decided to raise money to donate haircuts for children with disabilites.
In 2021, Vernon Jackson, a licensed cosmetologist and author, created a program called The Gifted Event which provides free haircuts to children with various disabilities and medical conditions who need accomodations at his shop, Noble Barber and Beauty.
Jackson said his program has been going “steadfast” ever since and also shared how his idea came into fruition.
“I made a [social media] post about it and when I made the post, my friends [messaged] me immediately asked, ‘Hey, can I sponsor a haircut?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, sure,'” Jackson told “Good Morning America.”
On Jan. 26, Jackson posted a video to TikTok of him cutting the hair of 7-year-old Ellison, who has down syndrome. The “stop and go” video, which has gone viral, now has over two million views.
Ellison’s mother, Julie Eubanks, credited Jackson for helping make her son feel welcomed and described him as having a “cool energy.”
“He was just welcoming to him and treated him like a human being, like any other client, and worked with him and followed his lead, and I think that means a lot to any person — and Ellison appreciated that and in turn, felt super comfortable,” she said.
Jackson shared how he connects with each child who sits in his chair.
“What I try to do is make sure I talk to the child as a client and not to the parent and typically I leave the parents to be like to the side if i’m allowed to. If the child is doing good enough by themselves I have that time with the child so that we can build our own connection and work through this process together,” he explained.
He also shared how his own personal experience of being excluded shaped him.
“I know what it feels like to be insecure. I know what it feels like to not be accepted. I know what it feels like to be looked over and looked past, all those things,” Jackson said.
He added, “My own journey had started with me learning how to love myself. Learning how to accept who I am and how I was designed and how I was designed to give and receive love. Being able to share that in principle with the children and the families whose lives I’m a part of is what I’m bringing to the table here and what I enjoy sharing with them.”
