This 13-Year-Old Girl Got A Horrible Haircut On Her Birthday… What Happened?

When you are a kid, there is no other day that is more special than your birthday. Kids wait for it the entire year since this is the one day in the year that they are celebrated. When you are young, you also cannot wait to grow older. Kelsey Frederick was even more excited than your regular kid. After all, she was going to have not one, but two celebrations. She was the daughter of divorced parents, so it meant she would get two different parties. However, things did not go as planned on her big day…

Two Parties For One Teenage Girl

Kelsey Frederick was turning 13 years old! She was thrilled because this meant she would be a teenager at last. She was going to have one celebration with her mom and a second one with her dad.

Thirteen Queen

She hoped that this also meant it would be better than her previous celebrations. She was not just turning any age, after all. The day should also reflect that it was a significant milestone in her life!

Highlights

She could not wait to get highlights in her hair like her mother promised her she would. Many girls at her school already had highlights in their hair. It was finally her turn to get the makeover she wanted.

Off To Dad’s House

She spent part of the day glamming it up in a salon with her mom, Christin. After that, she was shipped off to her dad’s place to spend time with him. Somewhere along the way, things went very wrong for this poor girl…

She’s Not Alone

Kelsey is not alone when it comes to having two different families. Lots of kids have parents who are divorced, after all. Luckily, she gets to spend equal time with her parents because they had joint custody.

Always Fun

Her weekends were split between her mom and dad, so it rarely gets boring for this young girl! When she was with her dad, they often went to baseball games. Her little brothers were always there as well.

Mother And Daughter Duo

What was her relationship like with her mother? Let us just say that it is much better than the typical bond between a mom and her kid. In fact, Kelsey and Christin consider each other as their best friend.

A Close-Knit Bond

It is truly the ideal relationship to have with your mother. She has no qualms about discussing anything with her mom. We hope that she appreciates how nice it is to have such a special bond.

A Different Kind Of Relationship

Does she get along with her dad? Yes, but it is not quite in the same league. For one thing, he is not as appreciative of her stories as her mother is. It does not help that she lives with her mother instead.

A Family Affair

Christin and Schaffen divorced when she was a little girl. This is never easy on anyone, much less a young kid. Still, she managed to get through it with the love and support of her siblings and cousins.

Sports Gal

Another thing that helped her get through it would be sports. She has been into them from the moment she was born. There were many changes in her life, but she was happy that she can turn to her hobbies.

In Agreement

It was manageable since her parents remained friends no matter what. They did this for the sake of the kids, of course. They discussed how they were going to raise Kelsey and her brothers after the divorce.

A Little Fish

There was one other tradition she had with her parents. They brought her on monthly Lake Erie trips as well! She always liked doing this when she was little, so Schaffen and Christin wanted to do this for her.

New Love

Her father found love once more. He started to go out with Sarah, whom he worked with at the fire department. Kelsey did not really mind this. After all, she got along well with the older woman.

It’s Official

It led to a proposal and then to a wedding. Even though Schaffen and Sarah only made it official at the local courthouse, they donned fancy outfits as well. Kelsey was thrilled to see her dad so happy!

The Deal With Her Dad

For Christin, it was no issue either. The only thing she asked of them was for Sarah to respect the way they agreed to raise the children. If you ask us, this was a perfectly reasonable request.

Nothing Would Change

Christin and Schaffen agreed that nothing had to change just because he had a new partner in the mix. Kelsey was glad to hear that it worked out. The only thing she wanted was for her father to be happy.

Strong Women All Around Her

Kelsey did not mind since she was used to the presence of strong women. They were always around her, after all. There was her Aunt Kelly, for one. Aside from that, her godmother Haylee Ann was also there!

Endless Maternal Figures

These were two other women she turned to when she needed some advice or words of wisdom. They served as mentors to this young girl. Kelsey had no reason to feel threatened by Sarah whatsoever.

Close Proximity

Her mother and father also lived near each other. They both resided in Fostoria, Ohio. Their houses were located in close proximity, which made it easy to bring the kids back and forth on the weekends.

A Challenge

We are sure that you know just how hard it can be to choose a gift that a young girl would like. Kelsey proved to be a challenge since her hobbies differed from girls at that age. What gift would she like?

No Glitz

The only thing she told them was that she did not want any glitz. She was no “girly-girl”, so she was not the type to appreciate pink or sparkly things. Christin had to ask around for a gift she would love!

Not Like Other Girls

Kelsey played softball, but it was not like she needed any more gear for this sport. Aside from this, she also liked fishing with her cousins. Again, she already had everything she needed. What would she like?

Something A Bit Cheaper

A Mia Hamm jersey would fit the bill. Kelsey had been asking for one for quite some time already. The thing was that it was not something they could afford at the moment. It was simply out of their budget.

Taking Forever

We have all been at that age. In those days, it felt like an entire year takes a lifetime to arrive. What 12-year-old girl does not count the days to her birthday, right? She could not wait to be in her teens!

An Important Milestone

For Christin, it was hard to accept that her girl was growing up so fast. It did not seem possible that it had been nearly 13 whole years since she gave birth to this young girl. “Time flies”, without a doubt!

Her Choice

Christin knew that it was a special milestone for Kelsey, so it was important to get her a good gift. During the prior celebrations, she always had a surprise ready for her daughter. Maybe it was time to mix it up.

A Beauty Queen

Kelsey was like other girls in the sense that she enjoyed getting her makeup and hair done. She liked weddings because it meant dressing up. She liked using her mother’s makeup, so Christin knew this.

Highlights For My Birthday

Christin decided to ask Kelsey what she wanted instead. Her reply? “Mom, I want to get highlights for my 13th birthday.” She wanted to make her hair a little more interesting by adding blonde highlights!

Worried

There was nothing odd about the request, but we doubt that any mom will ever be ready to hear their kid ask for a huge makeover. Christin was worried that her daughter had confidence issues.

Like Her Mother

Still, Christin could not forget that she got highlights herself in the past. This happened long before she had kids herself. She decided to look at it in a different light. Maybe this just meant they were very alike!

Darker

She was shocked to hear the request, but she was the one who asked Kelsey to choose a gift for herself. She could see that her daughter’s hair browned over the years. Highlights were common anyway.

A Great Big Sister

She made up her mind by reminding herself that Kelsey deserved this. The young girl had been helping her look after the boys. Kelsey was always a good sister to them, so she should be rewarded for this.

Mom And Daughter Bonding Session

Since they were doing it, Christin knew that she might as well go all out! They were not sure what they should expect. It was a good thing they had each other and turned it into a nice bonding session instead.

Nails Too

They went to the salon that Christin frequented for her hair. The place also offered pedicures, massages, and manicures. Kelsey was in for a treat! Aside from this, Christin got a discount since she was a regular.

Matching Mom And Daughter

This mom and daughter duo got matching manipedis, of course. What else were they supposed to do?! Neither of them had any idea that this great day would not end in the same way, however…

A Relaxing Day

The two of them waited for the moment of the big reveal. Hopefully, Kelsey was going to be pleased by the result. It was finally time for the birthday girl to see what it looked like… What did she feel about it?

Could Not Believe Her Eyes

When Kelsey saw herself, she was shocked by what she saw! She could not believe that it was her. The highlights made her look different. Christin was pleased, but she liked the smile on Kelsey’s face more!

A Surprise Up Her Sleeve

There was another surprise Christin kept from her daughter. She did not only plan to get Kelsey a new hairdo and a manipedi… She was also getting her makeup done. There was nowhere to go but Sephora!

Bliss

When they were done, Christin took a photo of her daughter and then uploaded it on her Facebook profile. She just wanted all of her friends and family to witness the result of the transformation.

Next Stop Is Dad’s Place

Kelsey was already excited for her friends to see her new look. However, the schedule said that she was due at her father’s house. This was his moment to show her just how much he loved her on her big day!

His Turn

Christin did not have any issue about shipping Kelsey off to Schaffen’s home. She drove her daughter over to where her ex-husband lived. It was her weekend with him, so Christin was happy to do it.

Something Smells

Christin knew that Kelsey did not use her phone during her time with her dad. She tried to be present when she was there. While there was no reason to hear from the girl, Christin felt uneasy the next day.

Mother’s Instinct

Christin tried telling herself that there was no reason for her to worry. Besides, there was nothing to do but wait for her daughter to come home. She just hoped that Kelsey was happy with her new look!

Who Was She?

The doorbell started to ring a couple of days later. A weird thing happened. Christin found a crying girl instead. She was shocked to see that it was Kelsey! Her face was swollen and puffy from crying so much.

What Was It?

Christin could not help but worry. What was going on? Was her daughter hurt? Did she fight with Sarah or maybe Schaffen? What happened that weekend? She had no idea why her daughter was in this state.

Completely Different

However, a closer look at her daughter gave Christin pause. What happened to Kelsey’s hair?! It did not look the same as it did when she dropped the girl off. Exactly what happened during that weekend?

Horrible Haircut

It was not just the fact that the highlights were no longer there. No, the beautiful locks of her daughter were also gone! Did she realize she hated how her new ‘do looked? It did not make sense to her.

A “Chop Off”

Without a doubt, the locks had been butchered off. But how did it come to this? A pro hairstylist said, “What they did to that poor child, it’s a “chop off”, it’s a boyish cut with no styling whatsoever.”

From Extreme High To Extreme Low

Christin was devastated to see the way Kelsey hid her face in her hands. The young girl clearly did not want her mother to see what she looked like. Christin was in a state of shock. What was going on?

Self-Esteem Plummeted

It took a short time for her daughter to feel like the most beautiful she had ever felt to the other end of the spectrum. Kelsey could no longer look at herself in the mirror. Her self-esteem went down so much.

Fuming

Since Kelsey was not willing to discuss it with her, she decided to take matters into her own hand. She got into the car and went over to her ex’s house. She was mad that this happened under his watch.

How Could You

When she got there, she immediately sprinted up to their front door and began to scream at Sarah and Schaffen. Why did they do such a thing to her daughter? Why didn’t they get in touch with her?

Punished

It all boiled down to the fact that they hated the new hairstyle she had. This was the way they wanted to punish her for it. They said it was too precarious and even explained, “Actions have consequences.”

Against Her Wishes

Indeed, those were wise words. They would later find this out for themselves. The police would even get involved! The chief said, “the mother was upset at how her child was being cared for. The haircut was done against the child’s wishes under the direction of the girl’s father and stepmother.”

Smile No More

Kelsey had been smiling so brightly on her birthday, so it was heartbreaking to see her like this. Christin thought that Schaffen reacted so disproportionately to the matter at hand. It was only simple highlights!

Taking Her Frustrations To Facebook

She could no longer take it, so she wanted to take it out by going online and then shaming Schaffen there. Christin used social media to give her ex-husband a taste of his own medicine.

Sensitive Person

Christin wanted him to feel the pain that he inflicted on their daughter. How could he do this, especially on her birthday? This mom posted about it online in the hopes of shaking some sense into him.

When You Go Viral

Despite this, she never wanted to make a viral post. It was not her intention at all. The only thing she wanted to happen was for her family and friends to agree that he did behave unreasonably.

In No Time

She was surprised to see just how many reactions she was racking up with the post. People she did not know started to comment on it! They agreed with her that he went too far with his cruel punishment.

People Were Outraged

In just one week, it was shared 24,000 times and received 33,000 reactions. Whoa. Everyone wanted to say that they agreed with her. Here was one of these strangers had to say about what happened.

A Little Too Much

Sadly, Kelsey was not ready for the huge flood of support they got. It was too overwhelming for a girl her age. She was just a 13-year-old girl who suffered a traumatic experience, after all

Outrage From Strangers

Christin posted the story in order to get some support. While this came true for her, she did not expect just how much support she got! Others called Schaffen and Sarah’s actions “disgusting” and “ridiculous”

Stand For Your Kids

One stranger said, “What a cruel thing for a parent to do to their child. So sorry that happened… beautiful no matter what!” This was a nice thing to say, but Kelsey still felt at odds about the attention.

Middle School Woes

She did not want to show her face to her friends at school just yet. It was hard enough to live with a cut like that, but now everyone already knew the story thanks to the Facebook post her mother made.

Like Nothing Had Happened

The whole time this was going on, she was angry, betrayed, and humiliated. How was it possible for her dad, stepmom, and younger brothers to simply live their lives as usual? It was like nothing happened.

Theories And Speculations Abound

We are sure that there are very few, if any, people who would agree with the punishment they doled out. However, people started to wonder if they were seeing the whole picture. What did they think?

Everyone Had An Opinion

A commenter left their own theory and said, “I think the daughter was unfortunately in the middle of a get back at you between both parents fighting.” Could this be true? It might be… but it might not be.

Embarrassed

Hairstylist Jennifer McVay said, “Your hair is what really makes you feel good. If your hair looks good, you feel good. She had beautiful long hair, that beautiful little girl is now walking around embarrassed.”

A Fine Line

“Another person, aside from the father, is at fault. The one holding the scissors. But, back to the father, why would they want to humiliate their daughter that way? That was crossing a fine line,” she added.

The Highlight Problem

Those with their own kids had mixed feelings about the highlights. They said that they would also feel very upset if their child got a makeover like that without telling them. Still, his reaction was too much.

Unsettling

Some said that Kelsey was too young for dyes, but wigs and wash-out hairsprays are fine on Halloween. The other camp said it did not matter since it was temporary. They agreed that the chop was unsettling.

Sympathy From Strangers

While these people fought, many reached out and spoke to Kelsey. They were the ones to compliment the young girl and gave her ideas about what to do with her hair! This made Kelsey feel a lot better.

Making Up For It

The story began to make get a lot of attention online. Christin realized that this could be channeled into something good for her daughter! Why not make a fundraiser on GoFundMe to make it right for Kelsey?

Showing Off Her Daughter

She was shocked by the attention they gave her story and wanted them to stay up to speed. She wanted to show them how Kelsey was doing after everything. No one blamed the teen for being emotional!

She No Longer Hid

We are sure many people were thrilled to see that Kelsey did not hide her face anymore. Christin liked working on those updates because she wanted everyone to see that her young daughter was a good kid.

Forgetting About The Trauma

Followers got to see Kelsey practicing softball and taking fishing trips once more. The pictures showed her with the hairdo that she did not want nor asked for. It was not like she could do much about it.

Strong Support

These followers started to get a better understanding of Kelsey and drew inspiration from her. They were glad to hear that she had a lot of support in person too! However, things were about to escalate…

Press And The Police

They found out that someone who heard the story believed that it was parental abuse. The authorities started to look into the case, which was why Fox8 talked to Police Chief Colby Carroll about it.

Never Before

They talked about how Kelsey got a haircut she did not want at the hands of her dad and stepmom. “I’ve been doing this since ’92 and I’ve never had a case I would say that’s like this,” the police officer said.

Administrative Leave

The cops went to their house to speak to them. Sarah and Schaffen were put on “administrative leave” from their duties at the Middle Township Fire Department. In essence, they just got suspended at work!

Consequences For Their Actions

An investigation took place. In the end, the judges agreed that the couple had to punished for what they did to the poor girl. Some believed this was not fair, while others agreed it was what they deserved.

Actions & Consequences

If you feel like this was too much, might we remind you that they were the ones who went on about the consequences of our actions? We hope they had not forgotten about that. There was more to come…

The Court’s Decision

Christin got full custody of Kelsey! She updated everyone on Facebook with a post that read, “After 5 hours of testimony and ‘evidence’ provided by both parties, the magistrate’s decision was for Kelsey to live with mom and her siblings!”

No More Joint Custody

“A huge weight has been lifted off of everyone’s shoulders and we cannot be any [happier]!!” she said. Even though they were glad about the result, Kelsey still had to pay a pretty huge sacrifice. What was it?

Aunt Kelly Helps Kelsey Out

You see, the young girl did not retrieve her things from her dad’s house before she was ordered to be removed from there. She was not very eager to see Schaffen and Sarah, of course. However, it still pained her to lose all of the things she kept there. Aunt Kelly took to GoFundMe to help her out.

It Would Be Different

We are sure that they all agreed that it was the best outcome they could have hoped for. Still, it was still hard on Kelsey and Christin. They did not expect their relationship with Schaffen to sour in this manner.

Encouraging Words From Strangers

We are sure that they felt better after receiving the support of followers like Tatum Mathis. These kind people wrote them their sympathies. It is a good thing that it all started to get better for them soon.

Reaching Their Target Goals

They were able to bypass the amount that Aunt Kelly set for the fundraiser, which was $1k but people kept giving! The most shocking was a single $2k donation from an anonymous donor. The total? $3,543!

Lady Jane’s

The first thing they had to do was to fix Kelsey’s hair, of course. They went to a place called the Lady Jane salon. Kelsey was shocked to hear that the staff already knew about what happened to her hair!

Going Back To The Salon

This was because Haylee Ann already went there and then talked to the staff before Kelsey arrived. She wanted everything to be ready for her goddaughter. They gave Kelsey a warm welcome upon her arrival.

Incredible Results

At the salon, the employees waited for the young girl to walk through the doors. They all knew that this young girl displayed extraordinary strength and resilience. It was time for them to work their magic!

The Sky Is The Limit

They talked to her to figure out what she would like. Her godmother Haylee Ann stayed by her side to show her support. Kelsey listened to what the stylists said. In the end, she agreed to another change…

Happy Once More

It would take some time for her roots to grow back. Kelsey knew this and agreed to just wear a wig until then! She was happy with what they had to offer her. As you can see, things ended on a happy note!

Forever Grateful

Christin was glad to see Kelsey happy again. “I’d like to thank the ladies…for making my baby feel more like herself!” she said. “We truly appreciate you ladies so much!” Her daughter was smiling once again.

Her Very Own Fairy Godmother

The credit for this goes to Haylee Ann, of course. She helped ensure the success of the fundraiser and always gave Kelsey and Christin support. This was very helpful when things went wrong with Schaffen.

Happily Ever After

The people who followed the story were glad to hear that it had a happy ending. More people started to tune in as well! Don’t you think that it is amazing how an ordeal like this brought out kindness in others?

Going Viral Again

The post garnered almost 5,000 likes and a lot of shares and comments months later. “You’re beautiful!” one person said. They were not wrong about that! It’s a good thing Kelsey got the support she needed.

Grades Above

Even though we know just how unhappy Kelsey was with the botched hairdo from her dad, the truth was that it was not the worst of the worst. Compared to the following photos, it looked pretty good…

Nice Headphones

Bose headphones can sure get expensive, am I right? This guy did not have enough money to get a pair, so he decided to get creative about it instead. It only took him 20 minutes at the barbershop and a couple of bucks to get this result.

Like Father, Like Son

This little boy is called Kevin. He joined his dad on a trip to the barbershop on a nice April day. He had no idea that he was about to get pranked by his dad and the barber! Clearly, he was not at all thrilled when he saw that he now had the same receding hairline that his dad has.

It’s Salvador Dali

This is a rather unique haircut, if you do not mind us saying. We doubt that anything like this has ever been made in the past! The intricate details of the buzzcut must be very hard to achieve. How cool.

Don’t Pull The Plug

Man, we really do not know what he could have been thinking when he went into the barbershop. It is entirely possible that he was not even thinking whatsoever. The top part of his head resembles a whirlpool. The front and back come with all those weird braids. You know what, we’ll leave him to it.

fu

Beautiful Doll

Even members of a shaved-head biker group still want to look nice when it is their day off. This dude wanted the best of both worlds and he got exactly that. How? Well, he left a small patch of hair on his head. What makes it even fancier is that it was cut in the shape of a bowtie.

Whatsapp Emoji

We bet you are wondering why this looks so familiar. This has got to be the most used emoji out there. That is right, it took inspiration from the poop emoji. Why did he do such a thing? We have no clue.

Static Electricity

This better be on purpose since the only other possibility is that he got hit with ridiculously strong static electricity! The first one is more likely, of course. We are sure he used a lot of gel and hairspray for this!

Shocking

Miley Cyrus has always rocked wild ‘dos in the past. However, this might just be the craziest one of them all. The spikey look and bleached blonde ends are not easy on the eyes. It does look rocker chic, though.

First Fault

Would you say that tennis is the best sport of them all? If you are a huge fan of it, you might as well get a haircut to reflect the way you feel about it. We are only kidding. Everything about this is wrong.

Future Branding

Oreos are great, no doubt about that. The cookie, however, does not sit right with us as the inspiration for your new ‘do. This lady loves them so much she got the logo and colors added to her hair. Yikes.

Ariel Winter Too

It is not just regular folks who can rock crazy hairstyles. A lot of celebs like to experiment with their hair as well! Look at Ariel Winter from Modern Family. She got her hair done for a music festival.

Noah’s Ark

We will not argue with you if you say that this is a masterpiece. However, just how many cans of gel and hairspray did they have to use to make this happen? He sure has that Noah’s Ark look going on there.

Smurf Dipped

The Smurfs are great! Even if we do like them, we would never consider styling our hair to go with these characters. The girl is different, however. She wanted to take it up a notch, so she did this. Not bad!

Hat Hair

This guy used to wear a hat every single day. However, he decided that it was time for a little change. And we do mean it when we say little. Look at how insanely accurate the result was. How crazy is that?

Hillary-ous

Do you want your presidential bet to win the elections? If so, you must do everything to show your support and try to change other people’s minds. Hillary Clinton might have lost, but this guy already won.

Up Or Down?

When you are in doubt, simply add a zipper. She had no idea what to do with her hair for a wedding. This was the reason she went for something a little unorthodox. We wish she did not go for the zipper!

Chopper Chop

Do you want some context for this pilot? Fine, we will give it to you. Her boyfriend works as a pilot, so she wanted to surprise him on his birthday. She did this by getting this wild haircut for him. Cool, huh?

Eyes At The Back Of His Head

This must have been a pretty wild bet of some sort. Sadly, he lost. It is scary enough that kids will run away from him as soon as possible. Even worse, adults would likely feel creeped out too. Oops.

Carrot Top

This was her way to show just how much she supports the clean diet movement. Aside from following the diet to a tee, she also attached veggies to her hair! Yup, those are not real carrots whatsoever.