‘I SHAVED MY HEAD FOR MY GIRL’
DAD JACK HANSEN WAS DETERMINED THAT LITTLE ASPEN WOULDN’T BE ALONE
Doting dad Jack Hansen watched on helplessly as his 2-yearold daughter, Aspen, battled leukaemia. As the toddler’s gorgeous blonde hair slowly began to fall out due to the chemotherapy, Jack, 33, wanted to act.
He decided to shave his head so she wouldn’t be alone. He also raised money for the World’s Greatest Shave.
“As Aspen’s dad, this disease had me feeling helpless. So, I thought this could be something I could do to make sure she knew I was there for her, every step of the way,” Jack says.
“All I can and will do is remain beside my little girl and provide her with endless love, comfort and support.”
Jack and wife Jordan Hansen, 29, had just welcomed Aspen’s little sister, Valley, into the world in July 2021 when Aspen started suffering fevers, lethargy and strange bruising.
Concerned, they took her to the hospital for testing and blood work. Soon they heard the words no parent ever wants to hear – little Aspen’s diagnosis was acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Speaking with New Idea,
Jack says he won’t ever forget the moment doctors delivered the soulcrushing news that his daughter had cancer.
“We knew Aspen was quite unwell for some time. It started with vomiting and then she produced a really high fever, but at first we figured she’d picked something up at a friend’s house or at day care,” he explains.
“She was so flat and lethargic, and Jord had just given birth to Valley, so we also put it down to having a lot of emotions over that. If she fell over, she’d cry a lot … but nothing seemed to improve.” It took several weeks before doctors decided to run a test to check her blood count. “They said it was just to have a look,” Jack says. “They were sure it was just this 10-day fever going around.” The date – August 17, 2021 – is forever burned into Jack and Jordan’s brains. Aspen had blood cancer.
It was full steam ahead for her treatment, which meant she wasn’t going to leave the oncology ward anytime soon. “Once they started on the chemotherapy, Aspen didn’t leave
[the ward] for a month. She had her second birthday in the hospital,” Jack recalls. Aspen was facing the “biggest challenge of her life”, mum Jordan explains. “At first, she kept crying and telling us she wanted to go home.
“Aspen has such a big personality and loves running around, but she’s very bright so we explained to her she needed to have this medicine to make her body healthy again.
“She would miss going to the playground and asked if she could go back to day care, so that was hard.”
Following Jack’s shave, the Hansen family raised a staggering $115,000 for the World’s Greatest Shave, for much-needed research and support for all families battling blood cancer.
“It’s amazing how quickly Aspen’s treatment began and the fact she had a whole oncology team to get her better, so I wanted to give back,” Jack says proudly.
Now, six months after her diagnosis, Aspen is in remission but will need to continue treatment for the next two and a half years.
Jack and Jordan’s goal is to get their daughter back living her happy life and to one day, hopefully, hit the important five-year remission mark.
“We are lucky that it is so treatable and that Aspen is on the road to recovery,” Jack says, relieved.
“And we’re also so thankful for all the fundraising and research going on to make sure there is a cure one day.”