The story behind the photo of a dad and his son sporting the same scar, which went viral, has touched many hearts.
John Marshall says his 8-year-old son Gabriel was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer called anaplastic astrocytoma in March 2015. After successful surgeries removed most of the tumour, Gabriel was left bald with a scar on the right side of his head.
He told ABC news that his son was self conscious about the scar and felt like a monster. “I said, ‘You know what, I’ll get your scar tattooed. That way, if people want to stare at you, then they can stare at both of us,’” said this awesome dad.
This great act of support was posted on the Facebook page of St Baldrick’s Foundation, as an entry for a photo contest for Best Bald Dad; a Father’s Day contest where 55 dads shaved off their hair to show support for their loved ones who fought cancer. The Marshall’s photo caption read: “Me and my son @ this year’s st. Baldricks event in Wichita Kansas, got my sons scar tattooed to help his self confidence #BestBaldDad”
Not only did John and Gabriel win a lot of hearts, they also won the contest with over 5000 votes. “I never intended for it to be this big,” said John, after their photo went viral. “It was just a friendly competition between fellow cancer dads and people showing support for their loved ones who have fought cancer.”
Gabriel is said to be doing well and is much more confident. “He loves his dad’s tattoo and tells people he and his father are like twins” reports ABC news.
In all of this, John Marshall is glad he has been able to spread awareness for the childhood cancer community.
