Neighbors Baldly Show Love for Victim of Stomach Cancer

A neighborhood has gone bald in support of stomach cancer victim Manuel Garcia.

More than 50 relatives and friends have shaved their heads to demonstrate their support for Garcia, who lost his hair to chemotherapy.

“I thought I’d be alone,” Garcia, 39, told the Milwaukee Sentinel. “It makes me feel so good, so many people backing me up.”

Four friends from Garcia’s Latino neighborhood walked into the former truck driver’s hospital room last week with their heads shaved. When Garcia returned home later in the week, he was greeted by more than 50 other people with haircuts.

Some of the younger members of the neighborhood opted for Mohawks, which left them with a high, single ridge of hair. Others had ducktails, which left them with a small handful of hair on the back of their heads.

Most of the older men just had shaved heads.

“Other people heard about it and decided to cut their hair,” Carmen Garcia, Manuel’s wife, said. “When he came out, people poured in here until 9:30 that night to get their hair cut, helping him go through the crisis, fight the disease, with the help of the people.”

Garcia’s son, Miguel, 5, explained his baldness to his father: “Because I love you.”

Garcia, a treasurer for Puerto Ricans for Progress, is involved in many community activities and is known as “The Boss.”

“What they did for me, I appreciate what they did,” Garcia said. “I want to have a picnic, and invite them all. Since I’ve been sick, I’ve met so many people who’ve been good to me. You don’t want to be there, but they make it feel like home.”