After Gerdi McKenna was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year, in February 11 brave women got together to shave their heads in honour of their friend.
What started out as an ordinary photo shoot soon turned into an inspirational show of support as a group of friends decided to go one step further to show Gerdi their support.
Captured by South African portrait photographer Albert Bredenhann, a beautiful series of photos shows the moment each woman loses her hair. While some smile, others shed tears as they lose their locks showing the emotional impact of their brave sacrifice.
After being shaved, the women are seen in a few touching shots smiling together and sharing champagne.
‘My heart is full and I am doing it for my sister’, one woman said, with another adding: ‘If I only think what Gerdi is going through, then this is nothing’.
The 11 beautiful women then revealed their act of friendship to Gerdi in a surprise party organised by her loved ones, whose shock and appreciation at the surprise is clear in one beautiful photo where she puts her hand to her mouth in disbelief.
The inspiring act was also caught on a video posted on Vimeo by Bredenhann, which ends with a quote from one of the women saying: ‘I learned one thing this morning and that is hair is but a small part of you’.
Here at Healthista we applaud both Gerdi and her loved ones for their bravery, and love the beautiful message of support their touching act of friendship has created.
You can watch Bredenhann’s video on Vimeo.
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