Courageous Cleo braves the shave with help from dad

The dad of a toddler who is battling a tumour the size of a grapefruit braved the shave to match his little girl.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Apr 2019, 15:34 BST
Updated 26th Apr 2019, 15:34 BST
Cleo Keenan's dad Ryan had his head shaved in solidarity with his daughter, who is battling a rare and aggressive form of cancerCleo Keenan's dad Ryan had his head shaved in solidarity with his daughter, who is battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer
Cleo Keenan's dad Ryan had his head shaved in solidarity with his daughter, who is battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer

When two-year-old Cleo Keenan lost her hair due to chemotherapy this week, her dad Ryan, 26, went bald too in a show of solidarity.

Cleo used the clippers herself to give her dad his cool new ‘do on Tuesday.

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Ryan said: “I didn’t want her to be on her own. Before she had it shaved she was always playing with her hair, so I said she could shave my head as long as she’d have hers done after.

Cleo Keenan's dad Ryan had his head shaved in solidarity with his daughter, who is battling a rare and aggressive form of cancerCleo Keenan's dad Ryan had his head shaved in solidarity with his daughter, who is battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer
Cleo Keenan's dad Ryan had his head shaved in solidarity with his daughter, who is battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer

“Now she says ‘me and daddy have the same hair’.

“She enjoyed it but I didn’t. Now I’m freezing every time I go outside!”

Cleo, who lives on Grindleton Close, Grange Park, with her parents and older sisters Emelia and Ellie-Mae, was diagnosed with stage three adrenal carcinoma- a rare disease caused by cancerous cells in the hormone glands - on April 1.

She will return to Manchester Children’s Hospital in two weeks time to undergo surgery to remove the tumour, which caused her stomach to dramatically swell up.

Cleo Keenan, two, is fighting adrenal carcinoma, a rare form of cancer that caused her stomach to swell up dramaticallyCleo Keenan, two, is fighting adrenal carcinoma, a rare form of cancer that caused her stomach to swell up dramatically
Cleo Keenan, two, is fighting adrenal carcinoma, a rare form of cancer that caused her stomach to swell up dramatically
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Her mum Shannon Latham, 23, said: “We came home on Thursday and since then she has settled more and she’s now eating more orally.

“At the moment we’re feeling positive. It just depends on how much of the tumour they remove.

“The tumour has grown around one of her main arteries so there’s quite a high chance they won’t be able to remove it all, because it could cause more damage than good.

“If they can’t remove it all, she’s back on the chemo.”

Cleo’s family has set up a Facebook page and fundraiser to help pay for their frequent hospital trips. Visit www.facebook.com/cleoschapter.

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