FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Jeff York thought he would never get a haircut after his throat cancer started spreading. "Started going to brains, started going to lungs," York said. "It had already ate up my vocal cords." Although York had to learn how talk again following an exhaustive 14-hour surgery, he survived in what he said hospital staff called a miracle, and thanks to a nurse's recommendation, York found a new calling in his life. "I got to meet a bunch of children that went through chemo and radiation that had no hair, and the nurse next to me from ICU said, 'you know, since God gave you a new life -- he gave that to you, it's a gift -- you need to give back. You ought to give hair back to these little children,'" York said. On Wednesday -- 22 years to the day York was told he had just three days to live -- he received a haircut at Great Clips where his hair will be donated to Wigs for Kids. The haircut harvested 23 inches of hair that nearly reached York's elbows and would fit right in with any of the biggest rock bands from the 1980s. York said Wednesday was the fourth time since his surgery that he has donated hair, and it will likely be the last time since his age has made it harder to maintain the hair, which took more than two years to grow. However, he is extremely grateful to have had the chance to do it at all. "I'm glad I had cancer to be honest," York said. "I know it sounds strange, but it turned my life around to God." GreatClips cut his hair for free due to the donation, if you are interested in donating your hair you can find more information on the Wigs for Kids website.