Cincinnati barber goes viral with video of special connection with young boy

A video of a local barber is going viral on TikTok.The barber, Cincinnati native Vernon Jackson, does free haircuts for kids with special needs. The viral video in question shows his interactions with a special little boy, Ellison, who has Down syndrome.The video, which has gotten more than two million views, shows Ellison's joy doing something his parents say usually causes anxiety. This is just one instance of Jackson putting these kids, and their parents, at ease.Jackson's gifted program took off after it started in the summer of 2021. A friend wanted to sponsor the program's first haircut, lending it the name GIFTED, focusing on kids with special needs.Jackson met Ellison through a family friend who got their haircut through the program. The first time Ellison came in, he was surprisingly comfortable, but in the viral video, Ellison acted as if he and Jackson had been friends for years."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 said. "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."As you can see in the video, Ellison is clearly comfortable about getting his haircut in the video. Jackson says this is a moment he knew he can make a difference, and it reminds him why he gives individual attention to every kid, so they can feel comfortable enough to be themselves.Ellison is just one of the many kids that go to Jackson for haircuts. His mother, Julie, says she's still in shock of the moment and that it went viral.Ellison is known for being the class clown and having an infectious smile and laugh. Julie says he's had a lot of challenges, including three open heart surgeries.She adds that navigating a haircut for a child with Down syndrome has been stressful, but that was before finding Jackson's program. She now says having a barber who takes his time and gives her son a special experience is something every parent should be able to have."I'm always in the state of anticipating the worst because you never know with these types of situations with Ellison, or with any kid with special needs, they can turn with a blink of the eye," she said. "I was trying to enjoy it and record and peaking my head out of the side of my phone to be like, 'Is this really going on?'"Julie says every night, Ellison asks to watch the video and just laughs, a memory she will have forever.All of the haircuts under Jackson's program are free for parents and are sponsored by donors through a GoFundMe. Jackson has a goal of $15,000 that, so far, has raised just $11,000.If you are interested in donating to help Jackson and the GIFTED program reach its goal, click here.