"Duck Dynasty" star Jase Robertson has shaved his trademark beard to raise money for the Mia Moo Fund - a charity named after his 13-year-old daughter - and shared photos of the results on social media.
Jase, 48, showed off before and after photos on Mia Moo Fund Instagram page, an organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds towards research, treatments and causes of cleft lip & palate.
Jase Robertson shared
Phil and Kay Robertson's son reportedly promised to shave his beard if he raised $100,000 for the charity; according to his wife, Missy, he hadn't cut his hair in 7 years.
The former reality star live-streamed the big reveal on Facebook, which was viewed by over 6 million users.
"I'll tell you this, I look a lot younger," he said before revealing his clean-shaven face.
Jase and Missy Robertson
Missy later shared a photo with her husband on Instagram: "I guess you could say I'm a little happy. #ShaveJase #MyMan," she captioned the photo.
In 2003, Mia, the Robertsons' only daughter, was born with a cleft lip and palate, requiring numerous surgeries from the time she was just 3 months old. Mia's last surgery took place in 2015.
Cleft lips and palates form in the womb, resulting in a gap in the upper lip or the roof of the mouth because the tissue did not fully form during early pregnancy. Approximately 2,650 babies are born with a cleft palate in the U.S. each year, and approximately 4,440 babies are born with a cleft lip, with or without a cleft palate, according to the CDC.
Mia Robertson
To help children born with a cleft lip and palate and minimize the financial situation of their families, the Robertsons formed the Mia Moo Fund, whose slogan is "Because Every Kid Deserves A Smile."
In a 2014 interview with The Gospel Herald, Missy said she could relate to the stress because when Mia was born, she and husband Jase were living paycheck to paycheck and she was working as well and trying to make ends meet.
"The best doctor for her, we felt, was four and a half hours away, and they didn't take our insurance so we decided to take a leap of faith and do what we thought was best for our child regardless of the money, and it was very stressful for a few years trying to pay off that debt. So we would like to alleviate that stress for these families," she explained.
"We would like it to be where we have enough money in this fund and foundation where these parents don't have to make the decision based on their financial arrangements," she added. "We never ever want a parent to say, 'Well, the local doctor takes our insurance and we don't have to spend any money to travel, so we're just going to go with them.' If that's the best doctor for them, great - but that's pretty rare, I would say."
Mia and her father Jase Robertson (Photo: Miamoo.org)
Mia, in turn, uses her experience to inspire kids with similar struggles: "Why should you try to fit in when God made you to stand out! Happy Back to School," she captioned a recent photo.
