Vernon Jackson knows that getting a haircut can be a scary thing for some kids, but as an experienced barber (and all-around nice guy), he does his best to put all of his clients at ease. Recently, a video of his kindness went viral on TikTok when he shared a video of himself making a boy with Down syndrome feel more comfortable about getting a new 'do — and the results are seriously adorable.
In the clip, 7-year-old Ellison Eubanks sits happily in a barber's chair
As Jackson pans his camera around the room, he tells the boy to say hi, before Ellison happily shouts back, "Hiii!!!"
As he begins the cut, Jackson keeps talking to little Ellison to keep his spirits up, saying things like, "You're doing an awesome job!" and "I'm so proud of you."
The effect this has on Ellison is pretty obvious
Throughout the haircut, the little boy smiles, laughs, and chats with Jackson.
But the sweetest part is how Jackson establishes certain key words for Ellison to use when he's feeling a bit overwhelmed.
When he needs a break, Ellison simply yells "Stop!" and Jackson pauses. And when he's ready for him to continue, the little boy says "Go," putting him in control of what's happening.
The sweet routine almost becomes a game
Ellison shouts "Stop! Aaaand go!" with a giggle every time, causing Jackson and even the boy's mom to burst into laughter.
By the end of the clip, Jackson poses for a selfie video with the 7-year-old and announces that he's all finished — which causes Ellison to once again beam with happiness.
"I said, 'Ellison, if at any moment in this haircut you need some time to yourself or you want me to stop, just say stop, and give me a go when you're ready,'" Jackson told WLWT. "And so we get to going, and the next thing you know, immediately, he says, 'Stop.' And then he says, 'Go.' And by the second time, it turned into a game. And we were just cracking up."
@thebest1period Everyone here’s the video without the music! Idk what tik tok did ♂️ but please consider donating! All of my cuts for my gifted clients are paid for by donations
Though parts of the video were shot by Ellison's mom, Julie Eubanks, Jackson later uploaded it on TikTok under his handle, @thebest1period. Since then, it's been viewed millions of times.
"This video makes my heart happy," one person wrote in the comments.
"You both made my day!" added someone else.
According to Julie, her son doesn't always enjoy haircuts
In fact, she recently told Today.com that they “were pretty much the opposite of what you see in the video.”
“It’s always been really stressful,” she told the outlet last week. “A lot of times I’d have to bear-hug him in the chair to get through it. We got clippers and tried to do it at home.”
But that was before she met Jackson, who owns Jackson’s Noble Barber and Beauty salon in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Jackson opened the salon in 2019, and started a program shortly after known as The Gifted Event, which provides free haircuts to children with special needs. For the past few years, he's gone on to touch the lives of countless other children just like Ellison.
@thebest1period Hey everyone here are a few of the cutest and funniest moments that I’ve experienced with GIFTED To donate or to purchase a book click the link in my bio. Let’s keep smiling!
“I’m so blessed to be in a position to relieve that stress and anxiety for them,” Jackson told Today. “It’s a haircut — it shouldn’t have to be traumatic.”
Thanks to his kind heart and continued efforts, it no longer is for so many children.
