Barbers ask community to help coworker fight cancer

Nick Sorrenti works clippers at a barbershop he opened just over a year ago. With a team of barbers who became brothers, his dream came true. But one thing Nick and his team could never have expected is when one of their own was diagnosed with stage three lymph node cancer, apparently out of nowhere.

“We didn’t really care if you knew how to cut hair in the beginning. It was more about being a good person and we thought the barber aspect would come with time, and it happened, but with that it also created a strong brotherhood for us and when one of our own is sick, or broken down, it’s our job to pick them up in any way we can, ”said Sorrenti, owner of Studio 11 hair salon in Endicott.

Studio 11 director Josh Shafer first met Tim Deemie when he came in for a haircut a few years ago. He eventually went from client to colleague and quickly to friend.

When the news of his cancer broke, Shafer quickly set up a GoFundMe page to help him in any way he could.

“It was just something we had to do to get closer to the coronavirus and everything in between. Times have been tough for everyone, but it’s going to be harder for him because he won’t be able to work and we just want to help him, ”Shafer said.

If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life, and these barbers live by that motto. But when that is removed, it is a challenge for everyone involved.

“He’s able to come to work every day, have fun and have fun with the boys and love and be proud of what he does, and now he’s hit with the word ‘cancer’. and that puts everything in perspective, “says Sorrenti.

“He’s not just an employee or a teammate, he’s also a friend,” Shafer said.

A friend that these barbers support, and they hope the community will too. They say even a small donation will go a long way.

“He’s my teammate. We take care of our teammates. It’s a brotherhood here. We have eight guys, a solid unit, we’re going to add more guys, but he’s someone I respect; I appreciate. I know he supports me every day in what he goes through, I know he would be there to go through it with me too, ”said Chris Burns, a fellow barber at Studio 11.

If you would like to donate to support Tim Deemie’s fight for life, you can find his GoFundMe page online or visit Studio 11 in person to add to the store donation box.