Seventeen-year old Kieran Moïse of Huntsville, Alabama, knew upon entering the military that he would have to cut his luxurious, 19-inch afro that he had grown for the last six years. But, instead of just trimming his signature hairstyle, Moïse decided to donate his hair to children who lost theirs because of cancer, KSNB4 reports.

Moise lost a friend  to cancer in 8th grade.

“That’s when I started hating cancer,” he told ABC News. 

After witnessing the care his friend received from the St. Jude’s Children’s hospital, Moïse wanted to make a difference for other children who were stricken with cancer. 

“I knew I didn’t want it to just be cut off and thrown on the floor, so I wanted to give it back,” he said.”I knew I wanted to send a message.”

To honor the memory of his friend, he cut his hair off and donated it to Children With Hair Loss, a non-profit based in Michigan that provides human hair replacements to children and teens dealing with medically related hair loss due to cancer treatments, alopecia, and burns. 

Not only did he donate his hair but he began raising money for cancer research. His fundraiser, “Kieran’s Curls for Cancer,” was launched in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 

Moïse set out to raise $19,000, which is $1,000 for every inch of his hair. But he exceeded his goal and has already raised $38,000 and counting for St. Jude according to the Washington Post. 

His mother, Kelly, recalls how her son gained a reputation for his hair but now he’ll be known for his commitment to raising money for cancer research.

“Everywhere he went, he was the guy with the big hair,” she told the Post. “There was no way not to notice it. Every Sunday night, I’d help him condition it one section at a time while he sat through two movies. That hair was a huge part of his personality.” 

Moïse believes that small acts of kindness can go a long way in helping others get through the difficulties that they encounter each day.

“I know I’ve had rough days where someone just does something nice for me or I see them do something nice for someone else, and I remember that all day,” he said.

Moïse, who recently graduated from New Century Technology High School in Huntsville, will head to the Air Force Academy this fall.