'It's not just her journey, it's our journey': Moms go bald to help kids beat cancer

Jerusalem Kahsay's daughter Sara was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer when she was two-years-old. Now five, Sara helped to shave her mom's head on Tuesday for the inaugural Mom Shave Event for Childhood Cancer Canada.

"I want people to know what it means to have childhoodcancer," said Kahsay.

"My daughter had to be bald for three years so this is nothing," she continued, justminutes afterher long locks hit the floor of a downtown Toronto fitness studio.

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According to Childhood Cancer Canada only four per cent of cancer research funding goes to help children.Kahsay, who has seen many ofher daughter's friends lose their fight withcancer,raised close to $2000 as part of the #MomSquad, a sisterhood of about 10moms.

Kahsay said her daughterwas excited to help hershave herhead at first, but started to cry once she saw that she was bald.

"She said 'Mommy, I don't like it ... it reminded me of what I went through."

But she hopes ultimately it will help her daughter understand how much support she has in her battle.

Kathleen Arbour, whosefive-year-olddaughter Adriennewas diagnosed with leukemialast year, wanted to be around other moms who knew what she has been going through.

"Having a child who is constantly in the hospitalgetting poked with needles ... you have to turn your brain off and not be their mom while they're crying," said Arbour.

"That's why it's so helpfulto be around people who get it without even a word."

For Arbour, the event was not about her hair, or lack of it. She said she wants her daughter to see that her mom will always stand beside her.

"It's not just her journey, it's our journey," Arboursaid.

With half of her daughter's chemotherapy schedule stillto go, Arbour said she is gaining strength through shaving her head with the other moms.

"I thought, yeah,I got this."