KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM Nicholas is undergoing treatment for cancer and Dad chose to shave his own head in solidarity with his son.

A teen’s cancer treatment turns
into his dad’s hair-razing fund-raiser

---

By Nadine Kam
nkam@starbulletin.com

Parents do a lot of things to embarrass their children, and for Nicholas Aina, having his father sacrifice his hair -- even if for a good cause -- started as one of those things.

Nicholas, 18, was diagnosed with testicular cancer last September, and within three days of his first appointment, he had a mixed germ cell tumor and his right testicle removed.

His chemotherapy treatment began on Valentine's Day, and sessions were set for five days every three weeks at Kapiolani. Doctors predicted he would lose his hair in early March.

Now, to a man his father Randy's age -- having grown up in the era of Flock of Seagulls and, later, heavy-metal and hair bands -- lopping off or losing one's hair is a very big deal. But in a show of support for his son, he decided to make the ultimate sacrifice. Snip-snip, buzz-buzz, total bolos.

And he wasn't about to suffer in silence. This wasn't going to be any gather-the-family-around, solemn, private affair. Noooo sirreeee, bub. Like I said, parents know exactly how to embarrass the hell out of their kids.

KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM Nicholas Aina, 18, shaves his dad Randy Aina's head, while others await their turn with the shears. Randy let co-workers and friends each cut and shave a little until it was all gone.

Randy was making the ceremony public by throwing a hair-cutting party at his workplace at Edward Enterprises, where he's vice president and sales manager.

"I thought, if I did it at home, I would have to tell the story about 40 times, but this way, everyone at work knows what happened," he said.

"At first I told him, 'No, don't do it,'" said Nicholas, a University of Hawaii freshman who shaved his head before the chemotherapy had a chance to start leaving sickly looking patches. "It's real funny because the chemo doesn't even bother me, but if he wants to do this, then that's fine with me."

A FEW DAYS before the daring 'do deed was to be done, Randy had his black hair bleached, just because he'd always wanted to see what that would look like.

On the big day, and for a small donation, Randy invited his co-workers and clients to take a snip of his hair last Thursday. Funds raised would be donated to the Ronald McDonald House Family Room and to the Pediatric Ambulatory Unit Playroom, both at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, to whom the family had entrusted Nicholas' care.

The lines were out the door, and after Nicholas, sister Charlotte and mom Cathy had the honor of the first cuts, Dean Yamashiroya, president of Service Printers -- the competition -- eagerly took off the top of Randy's 'do, for a Larry-of-the-Three-Stooges sort of look, or anti-Mohawk.

The next up was Cades Schutte attorney Darryl Johnston, who approached Randy's head with a diabolical laugh, opening and closing the scissors with a sharp, audible "snip, snip, snip."

KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM His daughter Charlotte takes one of the first snips.

"I always wanted to do this to a client," he said. "Yeah, yeah, YEAH! Don't worry, it won't hurt."

Johnston must have come close to some tender places though, because Randy was looking a little nervous, saying, "Watch it! My ear's right there!"

Then it was the women's turn. Vicki Suganuma, Jane Pascua and Debbie Sakoki all took their cuts, but it was Cheryl Muranaka, a production manager at Adworks, who went for the electric shears, relishing its power. She attacked his head gingerly at first, then more aggressively.

"Hey, this is fun," she said, getting accustomed to steering the blade.

"What are you doing, writing your name?" Randy asked when it was taking a little too long.

Of course, Edward President Mark Ibara had to have his turn, shaving a "canal" in the back of Randy's head, just above the point where cranium and neck meet.

There were quite a few digital cameras in the house, and someone had the bright idea to show Randy how his 'do was shaping up.

KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM Randy Aina had coworkers and friends each cut a bit of hair until his wife Cathy Aina finished the job. Randy reacts to a comment from someone in the room saying that he looked like Mel Cabang.

"Oh my God; that's not good," was his response. "In the six months since we found out about Nick, never have I felt more like crying than right now."

By the time it was over, Randy would have orange tufts arranged in a checkerboard pattern on the back of his head. He looked as if he could blend in with a flock of rockhopper penguins. And those in the gallery observed, "Your head's not even that lumpy."

When it was over, Randy said his prickly pate felt strange but cool.

In the end, the hair-razing adventure raised more than $2,100 for the charities, and Nicholas and Randy were beaming in matching knit beanies.

And dad was getting used to the look, saying, "I'll sport the short for as long as it takes for Nicholas to get better."

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