Little Boy With Cancer Had a Big Scar After Surgery. What His Dad Did Next Shocked The Whole World!

There’s a unique bond between some fathers and their sons. This was surely true in the case of Josh and Gabe Marshall. When a father saw his son suffer after a life-saving surgery, he did something unique that shocked the whole world.

At first glance, Gabriel Marshall was just another young boy who loved the outdoors and playing. Life was uncomplicated, and he had great friends. But he was uniquely blessed; he and his father had an extraordinary relationship. They spent a lot of time together, and his father took the time to teach him something new and interesting every time. In his dad, he found a mentor as well as a big brother figure. Life was almost perfect, but the family would be thrown into a roller coaster experience without much warning.

What was supposed to be a routine doctor’s visit soon turned into a nightmare. Gabe was simply not feeling his energetic self and often experienced some form of headache. The doctors did some basic tests and then opted to do a brain scan. What they discovered that day was truly frightening.

Gabe was eight years old at the time. Most of us think that it is not fair that a child should suffer, and that was exactly the thought of Gabe’s parents during the scan in March 2015. A tumor was discovered in their son’s brain, identified as anaplastic astrocytoma. There was no time to waste, and doctors opted to remove it as quickly as possible.

When surgery is performed on a child, it is always a stressful time for the parents. Not only do they wonder if the operation will eradicate the problem root and stem, but there is always a risk of something going wrong in the theater. Procedures done to the brain are even more frightening.

This is how Josh and his wife felt, but they also knew that they had very few other options but to pray and wait. After a few grueling hours of waiting, the operation was finally done, and Gabe was out of the woods.

In order for the doctors to do the surgery, unfortunately, his head had to be shaven clean. The operation left an enormous c-shaped scar on the side of his head. Before the operation, Gabe did not lack any confidence; he blended well into his age group and had sufficient social skills to stand his ground. But after the surgery, this confident boy turned into a shy young man who always tried to hide away from the world. He was ashamed of his big scar and scared of falling sick again. Somehow, he had lost the spontaneous personality and preferred to stay at home instead of going out and playing.

His parents tried to comfort him with words of encouragement, but that did little to change the situation. Because of the close relationship Josh and Gabe had, his son’s sadness and shyness were eating away at his father’s heart. All he wanted for his son was to be healthy and to embrace life to the fullest. Now, his little man was suffering emotionally, and he did not know how to rescue him from this emotional pit that he was falling into.

The incredible thing about this story is that Josh Marshall was experiencing extreme emotional pain himself. His beloved son was suffering, and although they had done everything they possibly could, the outcome of the situation was still out of their control. These parents had to stay strong while their emotional world was in complete turmoil, and it often felt like their lives were falling apart.

Parents are supposed to be the strong ones, but during this time, it was often Gabe’s will to fight that kept his parents going. The fact that this family was so close-knit helped a tremendous amount. As the son suffering from cancer became the superhero of his dad, showing him that one can make the most of every day despite a gloomy sentence of cancer hanging over your head.

Almost every parent that sees their child suffer from cancer would do almost anything possible to make them happy. Josh wanted to uplift his son’s spirit and show solidarity in a special way. After the surgery, Gabriel was very self-conscious. He would even tell his parents that he felt like a monster. It was during August of that year that Josh got a brilliant plan. What he was about to do would not only bring a tremendous change in the attitude of his son, but it would shock the whole world and touch the hearts of millions of people.

In fact, what he did was so unique and so special that it even helped to raise the funds necessary to pay for all the medical procedures that Gabe still needed after the operation. Josh carefully scanned out the local tattoo artists. He was about to get a special tattoo that would show his son how special he was to him. He was willing to go through the discomfort and pain of getting a tattoo to help his little man cope with wearing a scar on the side of his head.

When the Marshall family was out in public, many people could not help but stare at the huge scar just above Gabe’s ear. Little children would make comments, and even adults acted in a very insensitive way.

That afternoon when Josh got back from the tattoo parlor, the first thing the family noticed was that his head was completely shaven. This is something that many people have done in the past to show solidarity with a person that had to undergo cancer treatment and had lost all their hair. But Josh had gone a little further. At the exact same spot as the scar that was formed on Gabe’s head when he had his tumor removed, Josh now sported a very realistic scar tattoo.

In a split second, Gabe wasn’t alone anymore; his father had made the sacrifice to also bear his scar. From now on, if people wanted to stare and point, they would have to treat both father and son in the same way.

There’s a special event held annually in Wichita, Kansas, by the St. Baldrick Foundation. The event gives recognition to fathers that have shaved their heads in solidarity with their children who suffer from cancer. 55 dads entered the competition that year by submitting photographs of their support. It was no surprise that the Marshall father and son combo got over 5,000 votes and easily won first place.

Josh never did this to become popular or be praised by other people. Yet when a simple family picture was shared on social media, his story went viral. People wanted to hear the details of their very personal journey. The response of people across the world left this father with a sense of gratitude. Although a few people could understand what parents go through with a child suffering from a life-threatening disease, support always uplifts one’s spirits during this difficult time.

As the tumor wasn’t completely removed during surgery, Gabe had to go for regular checkups every three months when an MRI scan was done to monitor the malignant growth. The scars that both men carried were a constant reminder to remain focused and positive and live life to the fullest in each moment that was given to them.

Life is unpredictable and often filled with unexpected twists and turns. In December of 2016, the family got some bad news. Gabe’s brain tumor had returned a mere six months after the first surgery. The family had to depend on fundraising efforts to help pay for the second procedure. Because of the location of the tumor, though, doctors could not operate again.

Although every one of us would love to have the perfect happy ending to this incredible story, it was unfortunately reported that Gabriel Marshall died at the tender age of 11 on February 2nd, 2018.

In the last few weeks of his life, his family took him from the hospital and brought him back home. When he departed from this world, he went peacefully in his father’s arms, surrounded by his beloved family.

At the memorial service, which was in essence a celebration of his short life on Earth, his father expressed his gratitude to everyone who supported them during this incredible journey over the past few years. He never regretted getting the tattoo because it made his boy feel valued and proud, assured that he was deeply loved by his family and that he belonged. The scar would keep the memory of his son alive in his heart forever. Gabe will never be forgotten.

What a heartbreaking ending to an already difficult story. Would you have considered getting this type of tattoo on yourself? Have you ever shaved your head in solidarity with someone suffering from cancer? Let us know in the comments below.