Mom Cuts 14 Inches of Her Hair to Make a Wig for Daughter, 3, with Alopecia — and Her Reaction Has Everyone in Tears (Exclusive)

"Seeing her smile was the best thing ever," Rubi Rojas tells PEOPLE of the moment her daughter Lorelai put on the wig made of her mom's hair

NEED TO KNOW

• Ruby Rojas cut 14 inches of her hair to make a wig for her 3-year-old daughter Lorelai, who has alopecia
• Lorelai was one year old when she was diagnosed with alopecia
• “She was getting my hair that I grew with lots of love and care for my tiny baby,” Rojas tells PEOPLE of the wig she made for her little girl

One mom gave her daughter a gift that she'll always cherish.

In February, Rubi Rojas, 23, decided to cut her hair to make a wig for her 3-year-old daughter Lorelai, who has alopecia. Lorelai was diagnosed with alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that attacks your body’s hair follicles, causing patchy hair loss, when she was just one year old.

"At the age of one, we first noticed some patches of hair loss that progressed over a few weeks. My partner and I became concerned and decided to take her to her pediatrician, and he referred us to a dermatologist. After running a few exams, we were told that she was diagnosed with alopecia areata," Rojas tells PEOPLE. "After learning about her diagnosis, my partner and I became concerned as she was so young and we had never known about such a condition."

By 2-years-old, Lorelai's condition became more aggressive, and her parents decided to shave off "the few strands of hair she had."

"This was one of the hardest decisions my partner and I had to make as we were scared and worried about how she would be treated and how she would feel not having her hair," says Rojas, who shares Lorelai and daughter Layla, 1, with her partner Jesse, 30. "We didn’t let this stop us from providing Lorelai a normal life because she was different, and we started frequently going on Disney trips as a family."

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@hairwithacause

A mother’s love turned into something so much bigger than hair. 🫂 Mom donated 14 inches of her own hair so her 3-year-old daughter with alopecia could have hair again not just a wig, but confidence, joy, and the freedom to feel like herself. Watching her smile, play, and light up seeing all the princess hairstyles she can now wear… this is why we do what we do. At Hair With A Cause, identity has no age limit. ❤️ We can create a custom wig using your own hair so it looks, feels, and belongs to you. And if you don’t have hair to turn into a wig.. that’s okay too. We have ready-to-wear premium human hair wigs available, and this February we’re celebrating love & confidence with wig promotions for this entire month! 💖$750 OFF Signature Wigs (code SELFLOVE in-store and online) 💖 $1000 OFF Bespoke Wigs (code BEGENTLE in-store and online) Because here, it’s not vanity.. it’s your identity. Book your free consultation today using the link in our bio❤️ . . . #alopeciawigs #wigsforkids #alopecia #alopeciastylist #hairlossspecialist

♬ A Day in My Life – Raya

"We would notice people looking at her more because of her condition, and this is when we decided to try hats," she continues. "Over time, she started asking about her hair when she would see herself in the mirror or when she would notice her sister, Layla, getting her hair put into a ponytail.  She would tell me, 'Mama, my hair is falling out.' That’s when we made the decision to look for alternative options and found Hair with a Cause."

Hair with a Cause is not a wig shop or traditional salon, Kerrington Muldrow, operations and social media manager of the store, tells PEOPLE. "We exclusively serve women navigating medical hair loss. Our work is rooted in restoring identity, confidence, and a sense of normalcy through highly specialized and personalized services. In this case, that meant creating a wig out of a mother’s own hair, so her daughter could quite literally wear a piece of her."

Rojas decided to cut 14 inches of her own hair, which was then turned into a wig for her little girl. The shop recorded a video of the heartwarming moment, which has now captured the hearts of many and gone viral on TikTok.

"In the video, [Lorelai] was excited because over the past few months, while they were making her hair, she kept saying she would finally have Rapunzel and Belle hair," says Rojas. "I was full of emotions. I was happy I had tears of joy coming down because Lorelai was getting what she’s always wanted, and not only was she getting a wig, but she was getting my hair that I grew with lots of love and care for my tiny baby. She's my twin, and seeing her with her hair and seeing her smile was the best thing ever."

Rojas says that her daughter knew that she was getting her mom's hair and was very excited about it.

"While growing it out, I would always tell her, 'This is your hair,' and she would grab the hair and comb it and sing to it like Rapunzel did with a smile on her face," she shares.

The now-viral video not only shows Rojas cutting her hair, but also the behind-the-scenes craftsmanship of turning the hair into a custom wig and the moment Lorelai tries it on for the first time.

"What made the moment so powerful was not just the transformation itself, but the way this beautiful little girl lit up. We showed her how she could style her hair like her favorite Disney princesses, how to brush it and how to wear it in a ponytail," Muldrow tells PEOPLE.

"Watching her smile at herself in the mirror, grab her ponytail and play with her hair was a reminder that identity has no age. Confidence has no age. The need to feel like yourself has no age," she continues.

"This story is a testament to what we believe at our core. It is not vanity. It is identity. When a child looks in the mirror and sees herself the way she feels inside, that is transformational."

Rojas tells PEOPLE she was "super surprised" at how fast the video took off.

"I read all the comments, and it made me feel special," she says. "I was crying reading all the beautiful comments about my daughter and how she looked like a real-life doll. I’ve seen other comments about how other parents are going through a similar situation and know they can do the same thing with their hair. Everything I hoped for came true; it brought awareness."

Mudrow adds that they chose to share the video because "hair loss is so often misunderstood as something that only affects adults."

"The reality is that children, even toddlers, can experience medical hair loss and their emotional needs are just as real and just as deserving of specialized care," she says. "For families navigating this that often feel alone and who are unaware that safe, developmentally appropriate, highly customized solutions even exist, we felt it was important to raise awareness and to break the stigma that surrounds hair loss at such a young age."

Rojas hopes to remind other parents going through similar situations with their children to simply "remember that your child is beautiful and perfect just the way they are."

"When we first learned about Lorelai’s alopecia, it was scary, and we had so many questions. But over time, we realized that what matters most is the love, confidence and support we give our children," she explains. "Do whatever you can to help them feel happy and confident, whether that’s wigs, hats or simply reminding them every day how special they are."

"Most importantly, keep faith. I thank God for giving us the strength to go through this journey and for blessing us with Lorelai," says Rojas. "She reminds us every day that true beauty comes from the heart."

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