U.S.

Colorado girl shaves head for pal with cancer, gets temporarily suspended

/ CBS/AP

9-year-old punished by school after shaving head in support of friend

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - A Colorado girl who shaved her head to support a friend who went bald because of cancer treatment was told she violated her school's dress code but will now be allowed to stay in class.

Kamryn Renfro, 9, of Grand Junction shaved her head to help friend Delaney Clements get through chemotherapy. Kamryn at first wasn't allowed to return to classes at Caprock Academy, the charter school she attends.

The academy later said she could return, and the school's board of directors met Tuesday evening and voted 3-1 to let her come back.

The (Grand Junction) Daily Sentinel reported that the school board's chairwoman had said that the school's the dress code is designed to promote uniformity and a non-distracting environment. She said exceptions can be made under extraordinary circumstances. The board voted Tuesday night to make Kamryn an exception.

Kamryn's friend Delaney, 12, has been battling cancer for years, and said sometimes her bald head made her stand out, reported CBS affiliate KREX in Grand Junction.

"People would sometimes call me a boy even though I was all dressed in pink," said Delaney.

Kamryn said shaving her head for her friend wasn't hard.

"I did it so she didn't have to feel left out," Kamryn said.

On Monday, Kamryn spent the day on the playground instead of her classroom, all because she violated school policy. Her mother says she emailed school officials explaining why the 9-year-old shaved her head, but received a call saying Kamryn could not come back to school.

"I was really excited that I would have somebody to support me and I wouldn't be alone with people always laughing at me," Delaney said. "I just want to say thank you for being a really good friend and actually being brave enough to do it, and not only caring about your hair."

First published on March 25, 2014 / 2:35 PM EDT

© 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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