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LOS ANGELES — After a woman's attempts to remove Gorilla Glue from her hair following a botched hairstyle attempt went viral, supporters raised nearly $24,000 for her medical care. Now, she's giving the majority of that money to charity.
Tessica Brown's plight captured the attention of tens of millions after she posted her story to TikTok in early February, according to the New York Times. The Louisiana mother of five ran out of hair glue, and made the mistake of using the industrial superglue as a substitute – something she called a "bad, bad, bad idea."
After spending a full month trying to get the adhesive out of her hair, including a failed trip to the emergency room, Brown began to lose hope.
"It went from scary to terrifying to pretty much being tortured," Brown told the Times.
She turned to GoFundMe with a goal of $1,500 to help her cover some of her medical expenses.
"After reading and researching I realized I may need medical help and my hair may need to be shaved," Brown wrote on the fundraising page.
Enter Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Michael Obeng. After learning of Brown's situation, Obeng reached out to offer his help, free of charge.
"When I found out this was a reality, you can only feel compassion and sympathy for Tessica," he told CBS Los Angeles.
Obeng performed the normally $12,000 procedure to free Brown's locks — one that relies on a special chemical treatment he developed — on Feb. 10. Brown told the New York Times the successful procedure was "a big relief."
Brown posted a picture of herself with Dr. Obeng after her surgery to her Instagram page, expressing her gratitude for his act of kindness and service.
"Words cannot even explain how I feel about @drmichaelkobeng," she wrote. "You really gave me my life back and I am forever grateful."
Meanwhile, back on Brown's GoFundMe page, donors blew her initial goal out of the water, raising nearly $24,000 as of Feb. 17. Overwhelmed by the generosity of Obeng and her supporters, Brown decided to pay it forward.
Brown told TMZ she plans to donate $20,000 of the money raised on her behalf to Restore, a charity founded by Obeng himself. Restore provides reconstructive surgery to patients in developing nations.
Brown shared in an Instagram post that she plans to use the remaining money to support three families in her area who could use some extra love.
