Professors, grad students go bald to support pediatric cancer research at Brew-N-Shave

Chunks of hair fell onto what is traditionally a karaoke stage, but geography graduate student Nicholas Lustig was all smiles.

On Thursday night, the upstairs room of the Westwood Brewing Company was temporarily transformed into a barbershop for Brew-N-Shave, an event hosted by UCLA geography lecturer Justin Wilford to raise money for children’s cancer research.

Wilford, whose 5-year-old son Max has brain cancer, said he organized the first annual event to be celebration of life. About 50 people came to the event, among them UCLA students and faculty, friends of the Wilford family and supporters of the cause.

“We see it as being a big party ““ an event that will allow people to show support and solidarity for all the kids fighting (cancer),” Wilford said.

Cheers erupted from the group when the certified hairdresser finally pulled out the electric razor to start. One by one, people were called onto stage to get their hair shaved.

Those who participated in the shave were asked to raise at least $50, but many went beyond that goal, Wilford said. All net proceeds from the event will go to St. Baldrick’s, the largest funder of children’s cancer research outside of the government, he said.

“It won’t just be going to my child, but to research,” Wilford said. “Every St. Baldrick’s event honors kids who are fighting cancer, so my son will be one of those honored, but there will also be at least two other children that we will honor as well.”

And by the end of the event, seven people in total ““ including Wilford, two UCLA geography professors and an impromptu sign-up by the Brewing Company bartender ““ had shaved their locks.

“It is a small gesture,” said Lustig, who grew his hair out specifically to shave it off at the event. “I’m just supporting a good friend.”

Lustig said he was with Justin Wilford when he found out about his son’s diagnosis.

While he said he doesn’t think about it much now, Wilford can remember the text he received in August 2011.

He was teaching a class at UCLA when he read it ““ his wife was riding in an ambulance with their son.

“It was mindblowing, like getting thrown into the abyss of your worst nightmare,” said Audra Wilford. “I can only imagine how (Justin) was feeling, speeding from Los Angeles to get to us (in Orange County).”

Previously, their son Max had been experiencing mild balance issues. They at first thought it was something small. Maybe he was just growing, maybe he needed new shoes.

But the balance issues continued.

They took him to his pediatrician, who ran some tests. While waiting for the blood test results, Max fell off his bunkbed and was unable get up.

“It was a frightening episode,” Justin Wilford said.

Audra Wilford took him to get an MRI the next day. And as Justin Wilford taught at UCLA, his wife sat in the hospital lobby, waiting to find out the results.

The couple at first thought it could be sinuses, but Audra Wilford was soon told Max had an extremely large tumor near the brain stem that was blocking the flow of cerebral fluid ““ he was experiencing severe swelling of the brain.

Doctors thought they might have to operate on Max immediately, but they decided to wait until morning. Most of the tumor was removed, and Max spent the next month in the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Justin Wilford said.

He has undergone chemotherapy treatments since late August, and could be in chemotherapy for another year.

“We are in for the long haul,” Wilford said. “The prognosis is good, but we have a lot of fighting to do.”

And this fighting spirit continued Thursday night, amid laughter and drinks. When Wilford wasn’t DJing the event, he was walking around with Max and his younger daughter, Maesie, mingling with those who came out to lend their support.

It is this support that made Wilford want to hold the Brew-N-Shave event in the first place.

In the more than six months since his son was diagnosed, Wilford said his family has been adopted into a community of parents, children and doctors fighting cancer. Raising money for cancer research is one way to give back to that community, he said.

“We have been inspired by so many other stories of children doing what Max is, and that is fighting cancer as a young child and learning how to be a kid while you go through this extremely difficult situation,” he said.

Jaeseok Cho, a fourth-year international studies development student who took a class from Wilford, came out to the event with a few friends. He said he feels particularly close to the cause, and he hopes the event continues next year.

“My niece and Wilford’s son go to the same hospital,” Cho said. “We have to fight against pediatric cancer.”

The event also allowed Wilford to bring his family’s fight to the UCLA community ““ something he had not had the chance to do up to that point. While they have a community in their hometown in Orange County that has been a part of Max’s recovery, Wilford said he had not yet found a way to incorporate his life on campus the same way.

“Everybody (at UCLA) was so far away, and everybody would say … “˜We would love to help out in any way that we can,'” he said. “When the opportunity for St. Baldrick’s came along, I thought “˜That’s perfect. This is a way that I can involve this community.'”

Stepping off the stage, geography professor Adam Moore rubbed his head a few times. Like Lustig, he grew his hair out just to shave it off for the event.

“I came out to support Justin and Max,” Moore said. “And it’s great to see so many people from outside the geography department here.”

The Wilfords said they are looking to make the Brew-N-Shave an UCLA tradition, and are already discussing plans for next year with St. Baldrick’s.

“I do hope that this is going to turn into an annual event,” Justin Wilford said. “I think that the UCLA community is a great place to support a foundation like St. Baldrick’s.”

And on Thursday night, when the shaving was still in full swing, Audra Wilford said she was glad to see the Bruin spirit in the room, and to have her son at her side.

“Everybody just looks better bald,” she said, laughing.