By Lynnette Johns
When Nicholas Jarrat, 15, who has cancer of the lymphatic system, walked into class at Wynberg Boys High in Cape Town this week, his friends removed their caps revealing their newly shaven heads.
The pupils shaved their pates in a show of support for their friend who lost his hair due to chemotherapy.
Nicholas had taken to wearing a cap on his head wherever he went to hide his baldness following chemotherapy for most of last year.
He was diagnosed with lymphoma in February last year.
As he got weaker his teachers started teaching him on a one-to-one basis to ensure he did not lag behind, but towards the end of last year his health started improving and he is now taking chemotherapy tablets.
The class, wanting to do something special for Nicholas to show they were there for him, decided to shave their heads.
The boys were inspired by a similar article in a Sunday newspaper more than a year ago.
Gutsy Nicholas, looking thin but healthy earlier this week, said he was "very happy" when he saw his classmates sporting their bald heads.
Class teacher Alta Diedericks, says the look on Nicholas's face brought tears to her eyes. "He was so surprised and then a smile lit up his face," she said. The class had special permission from the school to completely shave their heads.
Kyle Nash, 15, sporting his newly shaven head, smiled impishly and said he had always had a "big curly bush of hair" and shaving his head was the least he could do for his friend.
Thomas Coetzee had long blonde locks but shaved them off without a thought. His mother Claire was horrified until he explained why he had taken a razor to his head.