 After girl's dad cuts her hair off for getting birthday highlights, mom steps in. In a child's life, there are few days as special as the day of their birth. After waiting an entire year for their favorite day, nothing is more exciting than turning a year older and celebrating with friends and loved ones. Some children even get to celebrate the special occasion twice if they have parents who are separated. Kelsey Frederick found herself in this situation when her parents got divorced, but her parents Shaffin and Kristen were happy to hold two separate birthday parties for their little girl. But this time around, something came up on the big day. What could have gone wrong? Kelsey Frederick was particularly looking forward to her birthday this year she was about to turn 13. She couldn't wait to finally be a teenager. And even better, she was excited to have two birthday parties one with her mother and one with her father. Having two parties was a tradition that she had grown accustomed to over the years. Kelsey had high hopes that her 13th birthday would be extra special. She was entering adolescence and she wanted her party to be special too. Instead of the usual children's birthday party, she decided that a sleepover with a few good friends would be perfect. A fun idea, right? What made this particular birthday even more special was that her mother had agreed to let her get some highlights in her hair for the first time. All the girls in her class were sporting bleached locks and naturally, she wanted to try them too. After spending some time at the salon she headed off to her dad's house, but nobody could have prepared for his reaction when he saw her new hairstyle. No one saw what this dad was about to do coming. And Kelsey isn't alone. There are many other young people who have two families. But Kelsey is happy that she gets to spend time with both of her parents. Her parents' divorce contract dictates that both mom and dad get to spend an equal amount of time with their daughters so they did just that. Kelsey is with a different parent each weekend, so she is always moving. Things never get boring for her and she especially loves going to baseball games with her father. She also has two younger brothers to keep her company they always give her a laugh or two. Many teenagers would be envious to see what kind of relationship Kelsey has with her mother. Not only are they extremely close, but they are best friends too. Kelsey's relationship with her mother is one every daughter dreams of having. She knows she can talk to her mother about anything and everything that's on her mind. She is very grateful to have a mother who is always there for her. Kelsey gets on with her father just fine, although it's not the same kind of relationship she has with her mom. He doesn't seem to enjoy listening to his teenager's stories as much as her mother does. This may be because Kelsey spends a lot more time with her mom than with her dad. Kelsey's parents had separated when she was very young. It was difficult for her at first, but she was fortunate to have a large support system of cousins and siblings. If it wasn't for them, Kelsey may have had a much harder time dealing with her parents' divorce. Kelsey loved sports from a young age. She always enjoyed participating in sports, and this had the added bonus of keeping her grounded throughout the big changes that were happening in her life. Her parents tried to make sure that her everyday activities remained unchanged after their separation. Kelsey was lucky that her parents tried to stay friends after the divorce working hard at maintaining a relationship for her sake. Fortunately, both of her parents agreed on how to raise their daughter, as well for the most part, at least. After sitting down to discuss how Kelsey was to be disciplined and raised, they laid down some ground rules that they would follow. Although it seemed like something small, Kelsey's parents agreed to take her to Lake Erie every month just the three of them. Kelsey had fond memories of this special outing when she was small, so her parents decided to make an effort to keep up the tradition, even after they had separated. It wasn't long after Kelsey's dad had separated from her mother that he met someone new. She was a colleague at the fire station he worked at, and they fell in love. Kelsey didn't mind one bit in fact, she grew very fond of her father's new girlfriend. Kelsey's dad proposed and the pair made it official with a small ceremony at the local courthouse. Although they still dressed up for the occasion, they decided not to have a large and expensive ceremony. And Kelsey couldn't be happier for her dad. Chaffin's new wife wouldn't be an issue between Kelsey's parents as long as she didn't interfere with their co-parenting efforts when it came to Kelsey. Chaffin and Kristen had already agreed on how to raise their daughter, and Kelsey's new stepmother had to be careful that her relationship with Kelsey's father wouldn't get in the way of that. The rules and approach that Kelsey's parents had decided on would not change simply because a new stepmother was in the picture. Kelsey had no problem with this arrangement, and was just happy that her dad was happy. Kelsey was lucky to share her life with some very strong women as her role models. Aunt Kelly was always there for her and Kelsey considered her to be a second mother to her. Then, there was her godmother, Haley Ann. Haley Ann also played a very important role in Kelsey's life. Both Haley Ann and Aunt Kelly would always give Kelsey good advice and share their life experiences and perspectives. Because Kelsey had such strong maternal figures in her life, she never felt threatened by her dad's new wife. Kelsey's mom lived in Faustoria, Ohio, and she was lucky that her dad and stepmother lived there too. Because they all lived close to one another, they had a special opportunity to make Kelsey's birthday an extra special occasion. All three players in this story played a huge part in the surprise that was about to unfold. Although it is always difficult to choose that special gift for a girl of Kelsey's age, Kelsey's hobbies made the task even more challenging. You see, Kelsey wasn't like her peers and didn't enjoy things that other girls her age enjoyed. Her parents had some difficulty choosing a practical gift. But Kelsey just had one simple request. She didn't want anything too girly. This meant no glitter and sparkles and certainly nothing pink. With Kelsey's request at the fore, her mother enlisted some help from her friends and family to find something that Kelsey would love. Kelsey loved to play softball, but she already had all the equipment she required. She also enjoyed fishing with her cousins, but her mother didn't want to buy her more fishing gear after all, she already had everything she needed for fishing anyway. But what could her mother buy her that she didn't have already? There was one thing that Kelsey had wanted a Mia Ham Jersey. She had been asking for one for years now, but they were extremely expensive. Kristen knew that she just couldn't afford it right now she had to think of something that wouldn't break the bank. As 12 year olds do, Kelsey felt like her birthday was taking forever to arrive. She had been counting down the hours until she officially became a teenager. To pass the time, she and her friends decided to search for some cool party ideas on the internet. Kristen could hardly believe that her daughter was growing up so fast. It seemed like yesterday when Kelsey was just a baby. Had it really been 13 years ago? She truly understood how time had flown, and it seemed like her daughter was growing up right in front of her eyes. Kristen wanted to pick a very special gift to mark this very important milestone in her daughter's life. Every other milestone before this one had always involved a surprise, but Kristen also wanted to make this birthday even more special by letting her daughter choose what she wanted. Like many young girls, Kelsey enjoys having makeovers with her friends. She was always excited whenever her family was invited to a wedding or other special occasion because it meant that she could dress up. Kristen knew that her daughter loved makeup after all, she was always borrowing hers. But when she asked Kelsey what she wanted for her birthday, she was surprised by the answer. Kelsey replied, Mom, I want to get highlights for my 13th birthday. She was hoping that she could add that something extra to her naturally brown hair with a few blonde highlights. But how would her mother respond to her request? It was a common enough request among the girls her age, but no mother is ever prepared for the day their little girl asks for a major makeover. Of course, Kristen had some concerns. Had Kelsey become insecure in her looks? But Kristen couldn't forget that she herself had been getting highlights long before Kelsey was born. Maybe her daughter was just influenced by her mother's own actions. She decided there was no real need to worry. Kristen was a little taken aback, although she made the offer for Kelsey to pick whatever she wanted, so she knew she could not refuse. Kelsey's hair had darkened over the years, and people got highlights all of the time. It was no big deal. Kristen was a bit nervous, but luckily, she figured out exactly what needed to be done. Kristen didn't just comply because it was Kelsey's birthday, she also did because of her daughter's actions. Kelsey has three younger brothers, and she's a great big sister to them. She always helps out and serves as a great role model for the boys. Kristen decided to go all out and let Kelsey experience the royal treatment for her birthday. The two of them did not know what to expect, so they decided to turn this exciting but nerve-wracking procedure into some mother-daughter time at the salon. Good thing the local salon where Kristen has been getting her hair done for years also offers manicures, pedicures, and massages. Kelsey was in for quite a big birthday treat. Since Kristen was a loyal customer, they also gave her a nice discount. Mom and daughter ended up getting matching manicures and pedicures. What could be better? Little did Kelsey know though, something else was about to happen, and she had no idea it was coming. They waited for her transformation and hoped for the best. After spending a long yet relaxing day together, Kristen showed Kelsey the mirror. At long last, she could finally see the result. They were both in for quite a surprise. Kelsey took a look at herself in the mirror and could not believe what she was seeing. The highlights changed the way she looked. Even Kristen could hardly recognize this girl. However, she had to say that she had never seen Kelsey look so beautiful with that smile on her face. Kristen had a surprise up her sleeves that Kelsey did not see coming. She wasn't just getting her daughter's hair and nails done, she was also going to get her makeup done. Thought that was exciting enough? They were going to none other than makeup superstore, Sephora. Kristen snapped a photo of the apple of her eyes after all of the treatments and posted it on Facebook for all of their friends and family to see. The two of them did not know how a certain someone reacted to it, but they remained blissfully ignorant at that time. Kelsey was eager to go out and show off her new hairstyle to her friends, but she had to go to her dad's place first. He was also ready to shower his lovely daughter with love and gifts, but knew he had to wait for his turn with her. Kristen was happy enough to send their darling over to her ex-husband, so they hopped into the car and drove over to Chaffin's place. The plan was that Kelsey was going to stay at his home for the entire weekend. It was only fair she split her time with both parents. Whenever Kelsey spent some time with her father, she typically stopped using her phone. Since she split time between her mom and dad, she always made sure to make the most of her time with each parent. Kristen had no reason to hear from the teenager. But she woke up that morning with the feeling that something wasn't quite right. Kristen tried to convince herself not to worry, but a mother's instinct is always best, right? The minute slowly ticked, but today was finally the day Kelsey would be coming back to her mom's house. She wondered how her daughter was enjoying her new do. When Kelsey finally rang the doorbell several days later, something odd had happened. Kristen did not even realize the girl ringing the doorbell was actually her daughter. Kelsey's face was not only swollen and puffy from crying, but something else was off. What could it be? A million things raced through Kristen's mind. Was Kelsey hurt? Had she gotten into an argument with her new stepmom? Did something happen to her dad? Maybe she spent some time at the firehouse because Chaffin had to work over the weekend? Kristen knew it wasn't her daughter's favorite place but was that a reason for all of the tears? Then Kristen did a double take and saw that something was up with Kelsey's hair. It looked completely different than it did when Chaffin had picked her up just a few days earlier. What had happened to their daughter? Not only were the expensive highlights gone, but Kelsey's beautiful long locks disappeared as well. Had Kelsey had second thoughts about her new look and decided to get rid of it all? Kristen was shocked, she couldn't even move or breathe. Her locks were clearly butchered away sometime during the weekend. A professional hairstylist commented saying, What they did to that poor child, it's a chop off, it's a boyish cut with no styling whatsoever. It did not make things easier that Kelsey was cupping her face in her hands and refusing to show her face. Clearly, the young girl was humiliated by what happened. Kristen couldn't believe it and didn't know what had happened or where to go from here. In just a couple of moments, she went from feeling like the most beautiful and confident she had ever been to getting her hair chopped off on her birthday. Kelsey could not stand to look in the mirror. Her self-esteem clearly took a beating after the ordeal she went through. Kristen knew she had to get to the bottom of this. Since Kristen could not get her daughter to talk about it, she got in the car and drove to Shaffen's place. Kristen was fuming the entire car ride. She couldn't believe the man she once loved would treat their sweet daughter in such a manner. On her birthday no less. When she arrived at their house, she sprinted up to the door and screamed at her ex and his fiance Sarah, asking why they let that happen to her daughter. Moreover, why didn't they get in touch with her? Kristen was so mad she couldn't even think clearly. Apparently, they could not stand her new hairstyle and punished her for it. They thought the highlights were too precarious for her age. According to them, actions have consequences. Little did Shaffen and Sarah know, Kristen was about to show them how true this was. Kristen went to the police. The chief commented saying, the mother was upset at how her child was being cared for. The haircut was done against the child's wishes under the direction of the girl's father and stepmother. Her smiling little girl was smiling no more. She couldn't stand to see her sweet daughter in such a state. She also couldn't believe her ex didn't like it. It was simple blonde highlights, not blue hair. She was beyond her wits end, so she decided to take out her frustration by shaming her ex-husband online. That was why she went on social media to give him a taste of the humiliation. Kristen wanted him to feel the pain he decided to inflict on a young and sensitive person on her birthday no less. She hoped by posting it online, Shaffen and Sarah would see how much pain their actions caused Kelsey. However, it was not Kristen's intention to make a viral post. She just wanted her family and friends to validate that Shaffen behaved unreasonably. In all likelihood, it was her way to blow off some steam as well. However, the photos ended up doing more than that. What she didn't expect was the number of people it reached in such a short amount of time. When people around the country found out just how extreme his reaction was about something as trivial as highlights, they spoke out. Can you believe that people shared it 24,000 times and it received 33,000 reactions in only a week? The online users did not hold back at all from talking about how they felt about the incident. Here is one response in particular. For Kelsey, the replies to her mother's post and the questions at school were overwhelming. The attention all became a little too much. This is only understandable, in the end, she is only 13 years old. Well, Kristen definitely received all the support she initially wanted and then some. This was more than she bargained for. People she did not know started calling what Shaffen and his partner did ridiculous and disgusting. Another stranger left this comment, what a cruel thing for a parent to do to their child. So sorry that happened, beautiful no matter what. Meanwhile, Kelsey was not prepared to have both her face and newly butchered hair make rounds on the internet.