To 10-year-old Tyler Boone it's just his hair that he's giving away, but to other people it's him showing his heart of gold.
Tyler grew his hair for two years until its locks reached 12 inches. He did it for a selfless reason: He wanted to donate his hair to Gabby Ruiz, a 12-year-old girl and a family friend who was diagnosed with Alopecia areata—a disorder in which her immune system attacks the hair follicles, preventing her body from growing her own hair, ABC News reported.
On Dec. 29, Gabby herself cut Tyler's hair, which will be made into a wig for her to wear.
"She's gone through so much and I think just being a mom and seeing another young kid wanting to help and be a part of something caring and selfless, I think it's very special," Gabby's mother, Emelia Ruiz told ABC News.
Tyler and his family are originally from Florida where he met Gabby. During family parties where he played with Gabby, he became curious why she always wore a cap on her head.
His mom, Denise Boone, said she told her son about Gabby's hair problem.
Right there, Tyler decided to help by growing his hair long so that he could later give it as a gift to Gabby. Tyler told his mom it's no big deal. "Well, it's just hair, I can grow hair,'" he said.
In a few weeks, Gabby expects to be wearing a wig made from the hair of her friend Tyler. The wig is being made by Children With Hair Loss, an organisation that cares for people like Gabby.
Tyler's parents said they're very proud of their son for showing his "super-big heart."
"This is Tyler's personality and it's not something we encouraged him to do," Tyler's dad Jason Boone told ABC News. "They've been friends and Tyler has done some things [for Gabby] as acts of kindness."
