Dad Gets Tattoo to Match Son’s Cancer Scar

A 28-year-old Kansas father’s touching gesture of solidarity with his son has gone viral since Father’s Day.

Last year, Josh Marshall’s 8-year-old son Gabriel required surgery to remove a malignant brain tumor. The heartbroken boy told his father he felt like a “monster” due to the large, twisting scar the procedure left on his head.

Marshall decided to get a tattoo matching the scar in order to show solidarity with his son. “This broke my heart. I told him if people wanted to stare, they could stare at both of us,” said Marshall.

Marshall’s tattoo was completed in August 2015, however his story has gained public recognition since he entered the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s #BestBaldDad competition on Father’s Day. The competition showcases fathers who’ve shaved their heads in order to show solidarity with their sons who are undergoing cancer treatments.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for! After thousands of likes, shares, comments & beautiful tributes to these amazing dads, St. Baldrick’s 2016 #BestBaldDad winner is… bit.ly/bestbald2016winner #StBaldricks #childhoodcancer #kidswithcancer #shavee #FathersDay

A photo posted by St. Baldrick’s Foundation (@stbaldricks) on Jun 19, 2016 at 11:59am PDT

Marshall was named winner of the competition, according to the foundation because he “went above and beyond shaving his head in solidarity with his child and got a tattoo to build his son’s self-confidence. It’s a truly touching story.”

The victory led to numerous news sites, including ABC and Buzzfeed, picking up Marshall’s story.

For his part, the proud dad is surprised at how his family’s story has blown up.

He told ABC News, “I never intended for it to be this big. It was just a friendly competition between fellow cancer dads and people showing support for their loved ones who have fought cancer.”