Dad gets tattoo matching son's cancer surgery scar

MONROVIA, Calif. (KTVU) - A 28-year-old father from Kansas is forever 'inked' to his son with a symbol of solidarity and support for his child who was diagnosed with brain cancer last year.

8-year-old Gabriel Marshall underwent brain surgery for anaplastic astrocytoma, a rare malignant brain tumor.

The surgery left him with a large scar on his head.

The scar made him very self conscious and he told his dad, Josh, that it made him feel like a "monster."

So Josh decided he would stand with his child and get a large "C-shaped" tattoo on his head that resembles his son's scar.

And he told his son that if people wanted to stare, they could now stare at both of them.

Ahead of Father's Day, Marshall entered a contest dubbed the #BestBaldDad which features fathers who shaved their hair in support of their child who is undergoing cancer treatment.

The event is put on by the Southern California non-profit St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which raises money to try and find cures for childhood cancers.

Marshall submitted a photo of him and Gabriel and their matching scars.

The photo was captioned: “Me and my son at this year's St. Baldrick’s event in Wichita, Kansas. Got my son's scar tattooed to help his self confidence.”

Among the 55 submissions, Marshall ended up coming in first place with more than 5,000 votes.

He was named the winner on Father's Day.

And since the announcement, his photo has been shared around the world through Facebook and Instagram, attracting many comments from those who have been moved by this father's act of love.

He's being called a hero and one person commented, "This is the definition of a true dad who loves his son."