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Christmas wish comes true for Virginia girl with Alopecia after community raises money for a wig

Posted at 11:34 AM, Dec 26, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-26 11:34:36-05

CHESAPEAKE, Va. -- Kerrington Bervine is five year's old and has Alopecia.

It's a medical condition causing her to lose all the hair on her head.

The community raised more than $500 for her to buy a customized wig.

All the money was raised by Christmas Day.

Kerrington isn't able to play with her hair like other girls do, as it's something she struggles with everyday.

Candice Chunn, Kerrington's mother, told WTKR she noticed signs of Alopecia on her daughter's head a year ago when a bald spot was found while washing her hair.

"It happened literally like overnight. She'll go to bed and wake up and it'll be another one and then she'll go to bed and wake up and there's another one. So we took her to the doctor after we did some research we figured it was Alopecia," Chunn said.

Kerrington would get her hair done in different styles to cover it up, but over the course of months it was all gone.

"Alopecia means when your hair is falling out you have to be strong at school," Kerrington said.

She wears a turban to school and says it's not easy because sometimes kids will tease her in class.

Chunn added, "I can't fix it. I can't make it go away. I can't make her hair grow back and it hurts."

Kerrington's parents decided to get her a customized wig that costs $540 with a wig cap people made for people with Alopecia.

However, it wasn't the only thing she asked for.

She wanted her parents to cut their hair off too.

They also created a movement called #BaldandBoujee that's gone viral. The phrase is also on t-shirts to spread awareness of Alopecia and support for their daughter Kerrington.

"My friends are being brave too because some of them have alopecia," Kerrington mentioned.

Although Kerrington is getting a wig to fulfill her happiness, her parents continue to remind her that hair doesn't define beauty.

"Hair, short hair, it doesn't matter, but right now because she's still young," Chunn said.

The family will be traveling to North Carolina in January to get fitted for the customized wig.