Aside from her distinguishable singing capabilities, actress Clare Bowen is known for her long blonde locks. On Wednesday (Nov.11), the Nashville star debuted an adorable new pixie cut in a post on her personal Facebook account. The decision behind her bold new hairstyle wasn't made on a whim. Bowen used the social media outlet to open up about her childhood battle with cancer and why she was inspired to change her look.
After learning about a young girl suffering from cancer, the 31-year-old actress and singer decided to cut her luxurious blonde hair and trade it in for a fun pixie cut. Bowen revealed she shares more in common with the little girl than her fans might realize.
When she was just four years old, Bowen was diagnosed with "end stage nephroblastoma," also known as Wilms Tumor. Doctors warned her family that she had no more than two weeks left to live and her only option of survival would be risky.
"Wanna know why I cut it all off," Bowen wrote on Facebook. "I had just been diagnosed with end stage nephroblastoma, after several visits to a GP who denied anything was wrong and dubbed my parents "paranoid." I'd overheard the doctors telling my family that the only hope of saving me, was an experimental treatment that might kill me anyway. But without it I had maybe two weeks left."
According to childrenscancer.org, Wilms Tumor/Nephroblastoma is a mass of cancer cells that grow in the kidney tissue. The disease is predominantly common for children under 14 years old. There are five stages for this cancer and Bowen fell under the final stage, which means the cancer spread throughout her body and infected other organs.
The Australian native revealed that she spent a lot of time in the hospital, growing up around children fighting similar health battles, dealing with hair loss, and hooked up to the same medical tubes. There was no judgement or ridicule based on appearance at the hospital, because it was something they were all going through together. Ultimately, Bowen recovered.
"And then I got really lucky," Bowen wrote. "I survived, my hair grew back and I got strong again. I look relatively normal on the outside, but on the inside, I am still the same stitched back together little creature, in a world where people are judged so harshly for the way they look."
Wanna know why I cut it all off?When I was four years old, I asked my mother; "Are there heaters in Heaven?" I had...
Posted by Clare Bowen on Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Taking the lessons she learned as a child, Bowen was inspired by a young girl who believed she couldn't be a princess because she didn't have long hair. Bowen decided to take a stand to show her and others that a person's physical appearance doesn't make them beautiful or strong, it's what's on the inside that counts.
She hopes her decision to cut her hair helps people think twice before judging someone or spreading negativity. Self-esteem is not only a hard thing to gain, but it can also be hard to maintain. Bowen's choice was supported by the ABC network, as well as, her family and friends.
"Every scar tells a story, every bald head, every dark circle, every prosthetic limb, and every reflection in a mirror that you might not recognize anymore. Look deeper than skin, hair, nails, and lips. You are who you are in your bones," she said. "That is where you have the potential to shine the brightest from. It is where your true beautiful self lives."
