Two Birthday Parties
Kelsey Frederick was just 12 years old when her parents decided that they each wanted to throw her a big celebration for her 13thbirthday. Although having two parties was common for her, she was really excited about what each parent had planned.
Two Birthday Parties
Turning Thirteen
Kelsey was hoping that this year would stand apart from the rest. Turning 13 years old was special, and she was growing into a young lady, and she wanted her party to reflect that. What was the theme of her party going to be?
Turning Thirteen
Getting Highlights
What was contributing to her birthday being that more special was that her mom had planned to get highlight put into Kelsey’s hair for the first time. Many of the girls in her school started to get highlights, and Kelsey wanted to try it out.
Getting Highlights
After the Salon
After Kelsey had finished up at the salon, she headed off to her dad’s house. This was a normal for Kelsey, so she didn’t expect anything out of the ordinary from occurring, but no one could have anticipated what her dad was about to do.
After The Salon
A Regular Tradition
There are many kids who have divorced parents, so needless to say, Kelsey is not in a unique situation. In Kelsey’s case, her parents’ divorce contract stated that both her mom and dad share time with Kelsey equally. That’s exactly how Kelsey spent her weekends – alternating between her parents.
A Regular Tradition
Always Had a Fun Time
Kelsey was always with a different parent each weekend, so it’s safe to say that things never really got boring. Kelsey especially loves going to watch baseball games when she’s with her dad, and so do her two younger brothers.
Always Had A Fun Time
The Divorce
Kelsey’s parents, Christin and Schaffen, got divorced when Kelsey was small, making it hard for her to understand. However, the divorce didn’t affect her as much as many people would have thought, thanks to her great support system of siblings and cousins.
The Divorce
The New Wife
Soon after the divorce, Kelsey’s dad found a new love and then later tied the knot. This wasn’t an issue with Kelsey because she liked his new wife. The presence of a step-mother in Kelsey and her sibling’s lives didn’t stop their parents from how they initially decided to raise the kids.
The New Wife
About Kelsey
It was always a challenge to choose a present for Kelsey when it came time for Christmas and her birthday. Her hobbies weren’t like other girls. She particularly didn’t like anything that was too sparkly or pink. That’s when her mom asked Kelsey’s friends for help.
About Kelsey
Taking a Lifetime
Just like most 12-year olds, Kelsey felt like it was taking a lifetime to become a teenager. Most girls count down the days until they get to celebrate their birthdays, and Kelsey was no different. She and her friends weren’t wasting any time and started planning as soon as possible.
Taking A Lifetime
Highlights for Her Birthday
Kelsey revealed to her mom that she wanted highlights. Her goal was to spice up her brown hair with some blonde highlights. It seemed like a pretty normal request since most of the other girls in school were getting highlights, but what did her mom think?
Highlights For Her Birthday
A Worried Mother
Kelsey’s mom wasn’t prepared for her child to undergo such a major change. The idea of blonde highlights made her a little worried that Kelsey wasn’t very confident with the way she looked. This made her decision quite challenging, but she had to come up with an answer quickly.
A Worried Mother
Influenced
After thinking about what her daughter had revealed to her, Christin began to release that she had been getting blonde highlights for the longest time. The thought then crossed her mind that she may have influenced her into getting highlights.
Influenced
A Mother-Daughter Bonding Session
Soon after, Christin decided that it would be okay to let Kelsey get highlights for her birthday. In fact, she thought that she’d give her daughter the royal treatment as a birthday present. She took her to a salon where she got her hair done.
A Mother Daughter Bonding Session
That’s Not All
Kelsey was in for a huge birthday treat. Since Christin was a regular at the local salon, the management gave her a nice discount. This allowed Kelsey to get her nails done as well. It’s easy to say that Kelsey came out of the salon feeling like a million bucks.
That’s Not All
The Result
Kelsey finally took a look at herself in the mirror, and her transformation was truly shocking. The highlights completely changed her appearance. Kelsey absolutely loved her new look, and Christin had to admit that her daughter looked breathtaking with her new hair.
The Result
Wait for It
Christin had another surprise up her sleeve that Kelsey didn’t see coming. Not only was Kelsey getting her hair and nails done. She was also getting her makeup professionally done. Even better, she was getting her makeup done at Sephora.
Wait For It
Posting the Final Product
Once Kelsey’s makeup was complete, she snapped a picture of her eye makeup and posted it to Facebook for all of her family and friends. Kelsey and Christin both didn’t expect the reaction they were going to get from a particular family member.
Posting The Final Product
Time to Show Dad
Kelsey was excited to get to her dad’s house, show off her new hairstyle, and get her dad’s opinion. She always knew her dad to be supportive of whatever she did, and she didn’t think this occasion would be any different.
Time To Show Dad
Something Isn’t Right
It was normal for Kelsey not to contact her mom while staying with her dad for the weekend, but Christin woke up on Saturday with a bad feeling. However, she pushed the feeling aside and waited for her daughter to return the following day.
Something Isn’t Right
Unrecognizable
Kelsey returned to her mom’s home and rang the doorbell. Christin didn’t recognize the person standing outside of her home. It was Kelsey, but her face was puffy and swollen from crying, and she was missing something that left her unrecognizable.
Unrecognizable
What Happened?
After a closer look, Christin noticed that Kelsey’s expensive highlights were gone, but that wasn’t all. Her gorgeous locks of hair had disappeared as well. What this Kelsey’s doing? Did she have regrets about getting highlights? Or was it someone else’s doing?
What Happened?
A ‘Chop Off’
Her locks were completed cut off, and there wasn’t much hair left on the girl’s head. It was later discovered that Kelsey’s new haircut was called a ‘chop off.’ It was known as a boyish styled haircut that had no styling done whatsoever.
A ‘Chop Off’
A Sudden Change
Kelsey went from feeling confident and comfortable in her skin to being absolutely embarrassed with her appearance in mere days. She couldn’t even look at herself in the mirror without being brought to tears. Christin knew she had to find out what had happened.
A Sudden Change
An Angry Mother
Christin couldn’t get any information from her daughter. That’s when she decided to jump in the car and made her way to her ex-husband’s home. Christin was so angry that she couldn’t think clearly. As soon as she arrived at the house, she demanded to know what had transpired.
An Angry Mother
A Punishment
Kelsey’s father and step-mother stated that they didn’t like Kelsey’s new hairstyle and wanted to punish her for it. Their reasoning behind this was that the blonde highlights were too precarious for her only being 12 years old, and ‘her actions need to have consequences.’
A Punishment
A Taste of Their Own Medicine
Christin decided that Schaffen and his wife, Sarah, were right that actions do have consequences. That’s when the mother decided to go to the police. It was clear that Kelsey’s haircut had taken place against her wish, and something needed to be done.
A Taste Of Their Own Medicine
Taking to Facebook
Christin was beyond angry. She felt helpless because her daughter’s hair was gone, and there wasn’t anything that the mother could do. That’s when she took her frustrations out on Facebook. She made a post detailing what her ex-husband and his wife had done.
Taking To Facebook
A Viral Post
It was never Christin’s intention for her Facebook post to go viral, but that’s exactly what had happened. All she wanted was her friends and family to validate Schaffen’s unreasonable behavior. Despite this, the post got a lot of attention.
A Viral Post
Outrage
The post was shared more than 24,000 times, and people didn’t hesitate to share their outrage for what the father had done. Facebook users didn’t hold their opinion back about how outraged they really were with the father’s radical decision.
Outrage
Support from Strangers
The support received from the post was overwhelming. It just showed how wrong Kelsey’s father’s actions were. Many went on to say that his acts were disgusting and ridiculous, but how did Kelsey feel about all the attention?
Support From Strangers
Too Much Attention
Understandably, Kelsey didn’t take well to the attention she was receiving from the Facebook post. Not only did she have to deal with her new haircut, but she also needed to manage the attention of the Facebook post. How could a middle schooler deal with all this?
Too Much Attention
Like Everything Was Normal
Kelsey’s younger brothers, along with her father and step-mother, continued with their lives like normal. Meanwhile, Kelsey was left hurting. It’s understandable that she felt humiliated, betrayed, and angry about what they did. They didn’t believe they had done anything wrong.
Like Everything Was Normal
Opinions
The Facebook post brought up a ton of different opinions. One of these opinions came from a hairstylist at Pear Tree salon named Jennifer McVay. She said that feeling good comes from having good hair and that the girl is likely to feel embarrassed because of what her father had done.
Opinions
Mixed Feelings
Many could understand the father’s outrage considering he didn’t know about the makeover. However, that didn’t excuse his behavior. What he did wasn’t just cruel, it was also humiliating and heartless. Why would you want your daughter to feel the way she did?
Mixed Feelings
Raising Awareness
Christin decided to use the attention she was getting to help raise funds for her daughter to get a new hair treatment. That’s when she created a GoFundMe account. The goal was to get readers to contribute to making things right again, but they didn’t know if it would work.
Raising Awareness
Moving Away from Being Embarrassed
Christin enjoyed updating those following their story on her daughter’s progress. She continued with life even though she continued to sport the haircut she didn’t ask for or want. However, she knew that she needed to continue living her life.
Moving Away From Being Embarrassed
Administrative Leave
It didn’t take long before Schaffen, and his wife started seeing the adverse effects of what they did. The couple received suspensions from their duties as firefighters. The fire department of Middletown Township didn’t want people like that working for them.
Aministrative Leave
Consequences for Their Actions
There was an investigation, and the authorities found it in the best interest of Kelsey to grant full custody to her mother. Kelsey’s relationship with her father was tarnished without warning, and she was relieved to live with her mom.
Consequences For Their Actions
GoFundMe Success
The GoFundMe account was a success, and Kelsey was thrilled that she would able to go back to the salon she had previously received her highlights from. She knew that she had to wait for her hair to grow back, but in the meantime she has made peace with wearing a wig. She felt truly grateful for all the support she received from her mom and the people online who contributed to her GoFundMe account.
GoFundMe Success