We have a challenge for you: try to go back in time and remember how your 13th birthday was like. It was probably a lot of fun, right? Well, Kelsey Frederick, a young teenage girl from Fostoria, Ohio, can hardly say the same... Her 13th birthday was unforgettable, but not for all of the right reasons.

After deciding to get a nice makeover to celebrate turning 13, a weekend at dad's house ended up changing everything. This is Kelsey's journey of despair, insecurity, family feuds, and media chaos, and you don't want to miss a beat!

Turning 13

Kelsey Frederick was just another 12-year-old girl. She enjoyed sports, and she loved to hang out with her mom Christin, her best friend. And like most 12-year-olds, she couldn't wait to celebrate her 13th birthday. It's a landmark in every young girl's life, and Kelsey was looking forwards to a very special birthday gift.

To Kelsey, turning 13 was going to be a happy and exciting experience. But little did she knew that her 13th birthday would unravel a chaotic chain of events that would forever impact her reputation, her life, and her family.

Always Between Mom and Dad's

Kelsey loved her family, even though she divided her time between her mom's house and her dad's house. Christin and Scahffen, Kelsey's father, were divorced and shared the custody of the young 12-year-old. Most days, Kelsey stayed with her mom, but she also spent a lot of time at her father's.

Working as a volunteer firefighter, Schaffen lived with Sarah Murray, who was also a firefighter. After the divorce, Schaffen found love in the arms of Sarah, with whom he married. On her special day, Kelsey was supposed to visit her dad's house after celebrating with Christin and her friends.

Becoming a Teenager

Turning 13 is just not about celebrating the passing of time and putting an extra candle on the birthday cake. In a young girl's life, it symbolizes the transition from childhood to teenagehood. Ahead of her 13th birthday, Kelsey felt like she was already old enough to make some decisions independently.

And such included her hairstyle. At the time, having highlights was a pretty popular look at Kelsey's school. She didn't want to fall behind, and she was looking to fit in, so she asked for a very special birthday gift: a makeover!

One of the Girls

Whenever Kelsey was with her mom, she also enjoyed the company of other very special ladies. Such included her aunt Kelly and her godmother Hailey Ann. Together, the four made for a fun all-girls group, and Kelsey couldn't complain about not having strong female influences in her life.

Christin, Kelly, and Hailey Ann understood that 13-year-olds need to start having a saying on the way they look like. After all, teens need to be able to express themselves and develop a personality. So, when they learned Kelsey wanted highlights for her birthday, they couldn't have been more supportive.

Not a Girly Girl

Ahead of her 13th birthday, Christin asked Kelsey about what she wanted for her special day. And the young lady simply said she didn't want any glitz and pink. A talented softball player and avid outdoors kid, Kelsey wasn't the kind of young girl who likes to dress up as a princess and play with dolls.

But even though she wasn't your typical girly girl, Kelsey wanted to look her age and dress up. She wanted to feel more beautiful and confident in her own body, and getting a new hairstyle was an important part of it.

In For a Treat

A loving mother, Christin decided that she was going to give Kelsey everything she wanted... and more! On Kelsey's special day, Christin surprised her by taking her to the beauty salon. Kelsey couldn't wait to get highlights! But Christin had more surprises in store for the young girl.

More than a new hairstyle, Kelsey got an all-around beauty treatment. She was signed up for a manicure and pedicure session and enjoyed all of the best beauty salon perks! She was getting what she really wanted: to feel like a more mature 13-year-old young woman.

A Dazzling New Look

After the pedicure and manicure sessions, Kelsey finally got the highlights she wanted so much. And she looked stunning! Christin couldn't believe how grown-up Kelsey looked, and the young woman seemed extremely confident about her new hairstyle. To complete the makeover, Christin even bought Kelsey some make-up!

To Kelsey, it was a dream birthday. She loved her new self, and she was happy about finally being treated as a young woman, not a child. As every 13-year-old should, Kelsey felt like a teenager: she was still a kid, yes, but she was more than ready to make her own decisions and express her unique personality.

Next Stop: Dad's Home

Kelsey's 13th birthday was going even better than she dreamed of. But now that the fun day at the beauty salon with mom was over, it was time for Kelsey to drop by her father's home.

Kelsey liked her father very much, but she had a different kind of relationship with him. While she considered Christin to be not just her mom but her best friend, she wasn't so open about her feelings when it came to daddy Schaffen. But even with this in mind, she could have never predicted what was about to happen next.

Christin Felt Something Was Wrong

Still impressed by how charming and grown-up Kelsey looked, Christin dropped her off at her father's home, as agreed. The drop-off was routine, part of Christin and Kelsey's day-to-day. Still, Christin had a bad feeling about it.

She knew Schaffen, and she wasn't sure about how he would react to Kelsey's new hairstyle. For some reason, she worried a lot while she waited for Kelsey to come back home. The whole weekend went by, and Christin had no news of Kelsey. But she had this gut feeling that she was in danger, and she couldn't stop worrying.

A Stranger Rings the Bell

Christin and Schaffen live in separate homes ever since they divorced, but they're practically next-door neighbors. They both live in Fostoria, Ohio, so they can share Kelsey's custody and be there for her every need. Still, whenever Kelsey was with her dad, it was normal for Christin to not really know what was going on.

That's probably why she didn't found it that strange that Kelsey didn't call or send her a message. That was normal. But she still couldn't shake off that bad feeling... And after the weekend was over, Christin's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the doorbell. Outside, she saw what looked like a very familiar little boy.

Christin Couldn't Believe It

When Christin opened the door, she saw a young boy with bloated eyes from crying, and she didn't recognize him at first. But then, she realized it wasn't a young boy standing in front of her... It was Kelsey!

Christin couldn't believe it. Kelsey looked so different that she was almost unrecognizable. Her make-up was gone, and so were her new beautiful highlights. What was left was a grotesque boyish hairstyle that looked like something a reckless shearer had done in 5 minutes. Seeing her beautiful daughter completely heartbroken, Christin's shock immediately turned into anger.

From Sheer Joy to Utter Sadness

Kelsey was so sad she could hardly speak. She was trying to hide her face and her new short hairstyle under a hoody as if she was ashamed of being herself. Two short days before, Kelsey was proudly taking pictures of her new look and posting them on social media.

Now, she was so ashamed of how she looked she just wanted to never show up in public again. As for Christin, she was highly divided: on one side, she felt her daughter's pain deeply. On the other, she was absolutely enraged!

Schaffen and Sarah Did It

To Christin, it wasn't hard to find out who the culprits were. Schaffen and his wife Sarah were responsible for the grotesque haircut, which was performed against Kelsey's will. Christin knew right on this was a clear case of child abuse.

Still, there were some questions left to answer. The main one being: why on Earth would a supposedly loving father do something as horrid as this to his 13-year-old child? And was Kelsey ever going to recover from the trauma? Christin knew she needed to keep her head calm and help her distraught daughter, but she was fuming!

Was She Growing-up Too Fast?

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why Schaffen and Sarah decided to give Kelsey a boyish haircut. As two grown-up adults, they should have known better. But there are two strong possibilities: either they were trying to punish Christin for her decision to give Kelsey a makeover without talking to them first, or they felt like the young woman was growing too fast.

It was, most likely, a combination of the two. Maybe Schaffen couldn't handle it that his little girl was becoming a woman. Maybe he felt angry that she changed her look completely without asking him first. Either way, Schaffen and Sarah's actions were inexcusable.

Different Reactions

Whether it was out of resentment, shock, or sheer dumbness, Schaffen and Sarah seemed to be unaware of their actions' severity. Maybe they thought Kelsey was still a child and that she would go over it in just a couple of days?

If they did so, they couldn't have been more wrong! Kelsey was destroyed and saw her 13th birthday wish turning into a real nightmare. And if her feelings were being ignored at her dad's home, the same wasn't going to happen at mom's. Christin was about to make sure that all hell broke loose.

Going Online

Christin was looking for blood. She was appalled by Schaffen's actions, and she wanted to make sure her little girl was getting justice. So, she went online. Using Facebook, she published a post reporting what happened to Kelsey, and the reactions started piling up immediately.

You know how viral social media stories work: they start as a small thread and eventually reach more and more people, until finally making the news! That's exactly what happened to Kelsey's story. Everybody was tuning in to leave a comment, and there was no shortage of contradictory opinions online.

Abuse of Overreaction?

As Kelsey's dramatic 13th birthday story reached more and more people, there was a big debate going on online. Some commentators stayed on Christin's side, claiming that the forced haircut was a clear case of child abuse that deserved to be legally punished.

On the other side, commentators claimed Christin was overreacting and that, while Schaffen's actions were wrong, there was no basis for legal action. Some even criticized Christin, believing that she was making the most of the situation to get back at her ex-husband. This whole story was just starting to heat up.

Kelsey Needed To Be Brave

It's hard enough to be the child of divorced parents and standing in the way of their continuous fights. But Kelsey was now facing an even tougher challenge. And if you put yourself in the young woman's shoes, you may realize just how overwhelmingly brave she needed to be.

She was not only forced to live with her new ugly haircut, but she was also in the middle of a controversy that was getting more and more attention, even outside Fostoria! When you add up that she was 13, arguably one of the hardest ages for a child, you realize just how daunting the whole situation must have been.

Tons of Support

Fortunately, Kelsey didn't have to go through it all alone. She had tons of support. The girls in her family, such as her mom, aunt Kelly, and godmother Hailey Ann, were always there. And she also counted on the support of many sympathizing strangers who heard about her story online.

Realizing that Kelsey was getting more and more attention, Christin decided to do everything in her power to help her heartbroken teenage daughter. She set-up a GoFundMe account for Kelsey and continued sharing news of her struggle on social media.

The Story Is Blowing Up!

Christin's efforts were clear. Above all, she wanted to make justice for her daughter and punish Schaffen and Sarah for their despicable actions. At the fragile age of 13, Kelsey was forced to go back to school with an ugly boyish haircut that was the complete opposite of the beautiful highlights she wanted for her 13th birthday.

But at this point, Kelsey's day at the beauty salon and dreamy makeover seemed like a memory from a distant past. In the middle of a media frenzy, the young woman saw her story being shared all over the local and national news.

Team Kelsey

As more and more strangers decided to stay on Kelsey's side, a movement known as Team Kelsey appeared online. Plenty of people donated money so Kelsey could get a new haircut and makeover anytime soon. And she was getting a lot of support from her friends and teachers at Fostoria High School.

Thanks to Team Kelsey, our heartbroken 13-year-old got her confidence back and found the strength she needed to show her face in public without shame. Still, there was no shortage of critics, both in social media and the press.

Was Christin Exploring the Situation?

Yes, not everybody stayed on Christin and Kelsey's side. Some believed the Ohio mom was exploring the situation to get back at her ex and, even worse, make some money... They viewed the whole mishap as a light case of abuse and thought Schaffen had the right to cut his young daughter's hair.

Even the press had some "opinions" about it. In a Conservative Daily Post article regarding Kelsey, a journalist described the haircut as an "admittedly mild" case of abuse. While it's sadly true that worse things have happened to children, downplaying the situation wasn't the right thing to do.

Schaffen and Sarah's Reckoning

Meanwhile, Schaffen and Sarah realized just how serious the content of their actions was. Their name was all over the news, and they were getting some serious hate from online users in favor of Christin and Kelsey.

As the situation escalated, Schaffen and Sarah saw signs that their reckoning was coming... It all started when Steve Asmus, the Middletown Township Fire Department Chief, declared that the couple would be temporarily suspended from work. But that wasn't all: Schaffen was also going to be subjected to a full-blown criminal investigation!

Schaffen is Going to Court

On February 8th, 2018, Fox News reported that Schaffen would be the target of a child abuse investigation conducted by the Wood County Children's Services in collaboration with the Haskins Police Chief Colby Carroll.

Speaking to the press, Carroll mentioned that he'd never seen a case of abuse like this in his decades-long career working in the force. The nature of the abuse was unique, as well as the widespread public attention. By the time the investigation was complete, the case was taken to court. In Fostoria, Ohio, all eyes were on Christin, Schaffen, and Kelsey.

The Court's Rule

After a long and tiring 5-hours hearing, the court ruled in favor of Christin and Kelsey, deciding that Schaffen's forced haircut was condemnable. As a result, Christin was given total custody of Kelsey, who was no longer going to have to spend the weekends with her father and stepmom.

The ecstatic mom shared the good news online. It was a victory for Team Kelsey! After thousands of likes, comments, and news headlines, Christin got the justice she was looking for. But there was still a big problem that needed solving: Kelsey's grotesque haircut.

It's More Than Just Hair

Like many of Christin's critics, you're probably wondering: was it fair to destroy a man's life and career just because of a haircut? Doesn't hair grow back after a while? Well, the whole story is about more than just hair; it's about a young woman's self-esteem and the way fathers should treat their children.

It was just hair, yes, but it represented way more than that! After having her beautiful highlights forcefully chopped off by her father and stepmother, how is Kelsey ever going to trust them again? And without her hair, how will she be able to get the confidence she needs to go through something as complicated as being 13?

There's Hope on the Horizon!

As you can imagine, Kelsey was heartbroken. No amount of support would make her forget about the whole experience, nor get her the beautiful highlights back! But there was hope on the horizon for the young woman, who was about to get a new makeover!

With the money raised on GoFundMe and the help of aunt Kelly and godmother Hailey Ann, Christin surprised Kelsey with a trip to Lady Jane's, a beauty salon in Toledo, Ohio. They couldn't make her hair grow back, but they could offer Kelsey a great temporary solution.

Introducing the New Kelsey

On what turned out to be a very fun afternoon at the beauty salon, the girls picked up a beautiful wig that suited Kelsey's face just fine! It was a black piece that was very different from Kelsey's natural blondish hair, but that had the same positive effect on her self-confidence.

While there's nothing wrong with a girl having a boyish look, it's just horrible to be forced to live with a style you don't like, and that was forcefully imposed on you. With her brand-new makeover, a very happy Kelsey was finally able to get her self-esteem back and feel beautiful once again.

Team Kelsey's Triumph

A triumphant Christin decided to make the most out of Kelsey's visit to Lady Jane's to promote Team Kelsey's fun afternoon on Facebook. Through their GoFundMe page, the girls raised over $3.5K for Kelsey's cause, and this very special moment was what they had to show for it!

They all look radiantly happy, especially Kelsey and Christin, who couldn't have fought harder for this moment. After the entire media frenzy, the emotional turmoil, and the court sessions, it was time for Kelsey to relax and... to be 13 once again. The first of many happy moments to come.

A Big Lesson To All Parents

Kelsey has finally been able to come through the toughest challenge of her life: turning 13. In the path to regaining self-esteem, she saw her father and stepmother in a completely different new light. She was helped by strangers, criticized by some, and held back up by her supportive mother.

Looking stylish with her new black hair, Kelsey is ready to take the world by storm and have as much fun as possible with her friends and family. But the pain she's gone through should send a clear message to all parents: child abuse is always child abuse, regardless of how mild and insignificant it may seem at first.