Get tissues. This story carries a three-tissue rating and may result in ugly crying. Go on, we’ll wait. Have you got your tissues handy? Good. Our hero today is a barber who helped transform the bald head of a burn victim into the awesome head of hair he deserves!
At the end of a long day providing barber services for attendees at Kennedy Park during Park Days in 2019, barber Kintae Lark was tired. When a woman with her two grandsons approached, he asked what type of cuts the boys would like. The grandma answered that only one of the boys was getting a cut, and the other boy sat down. Kintae looked at the second boy and noticed scar tissue around his eye. When the boy removed his cap, Kintae was surprised to see a bald and badly scarred head.
Kintae sat with the boy, discovering that he was a burn victim. He learned that the then 10-year-old boy, named Marcel Griffin, Jr., had suffered burns as a toddler. Out of compassion, Kintae found himself rubbing the boy’s scalp gently while he spoke with the grandma. Suddenly, Kintae had a brainstorm! He could give Marcel a crown! Because Kintae is not “just” a barber, he is a king-maker.
Who Is Kintae Lark, And How Will He Help This Young Burn Victim?
Kintae is an owner/operator of the Inspiration School of Beauty Culture and the Inspiration Barber Shop and Salon. Kintae and his wife, Tanika, are well-known around South Bend, Indiana. He has helped men suffering hair loss regain their self-confidence by installing a man’s weave, called a “hair unit.”
Kintae uses the phrase, “Every king deserves a crown,” when assisting victims of alopecia and other forms of hair loss. Although he had never installed a hair unit on a child, he was confident he could give Marcel the gift of hair. Kintae volunteered to install the unit free of charge and got approval from the grandma. Normally, a hair unit would cost roughly $200. Hold those tissues because there is more! Marcel’s reaction was priceless.
Kintae asked the family to meet him at the Inspiration School. There, Kintae successfully installed the hair unit on Marcel. He also called on the services of an esthetic student, Tina Wilson. She provided some excellent makeup to cover the scars. For the first time since he was one year old, Marcel had hair and an even skin tone!
There Is Always A Catch
Men’s hair weaves typically last around six months. At that point, they need to be redone. The catch is that Marcel and his family live in Arizona and were visiting South Bend. Kintae is a problem-solver, though. He had a solution. He planned a trip to Arizona to provide training to Marcel’s dad, Marcel Griffin, Sr. The training would include applying a hair unit and the corrective makeup. Kintae also made himself available for mentoring and support.
Marcel is 14 years old now. He did experiment with a few different styles but said it was just nice having hair, finally. Kintae Lark is continuing to make a difference. If you enjoyed this inspiring story about a burn victim getting new hair, please share. Hopefully, you had enough tissues. If you are in South Bend, look up Kintae and shake this man’s hand. Through his ministry and using his skills as a barber, he is making a difference in our world. You might find him working with high school students or on a street corner, helping homeless men regain self-confidence.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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