“We Are Now The Same”. Father Tattoos The Scar Of His Son Who Was Operated On For Cancer

Gabriel Marshall is an 8 year old boy who has two very clear things. First of all, he has the best dad in the world. And secondly, he knows that life still has a lot to offer him.

He is a brave boy, very dear to his people. And without a doubt, he will overcome the brain cancer that left a deep imprint on his head and that was taking away his spirit and his confidence.

If Gabriel is in the news these days, around the world, it is for a reason as beautiful as it is hopeful. Not long ago, Father’s Day was celebrated in many countries. So your father, Josh Marshall, wanted to do something special.

Gabriel has a striking scar on his head that makes him ashamed. She reminds him where his illness was, now almost excised.

Since that mark was stealing his smile, his father wanted to get a tattoo. With the same shape and color, imitating the same wound, with a very concrete purpose: to give strength to your child.

Then we better tell your story. Check out.

The example of a father who loves his child

All parents love their children above all things. Now, if there is such a complex and delicate moment, it is when, on some occasions, our children are diagnosed with a serious illness. As is the case with cancer.

According to statistics, the  survival rate of children with cancer between 4 and 18 years old is 80%.

It’s a positive thing. But even so, the struggle, the fear, the pain of seeing our creatures submitted to interventions and harsh treatments is, without a doubt, very difficult.

Gabriel Marshall received his diagnosis last year, and the impact was great: it was an unusual form of brain cancer called anaplastic astrocytoma.

It is a malignant tumor of the central nervous system that usually appears in male adults.

Although the prognosis is serious, in the case of children, survival is greater, that’s why Gabriel’s family had hopes and didn’t give up even for a day.

Cancer in an 8-year-old boy

When a child is diagnosed with an illness of this magnitude, they are still not fully aware of what it means.

Thus, your life undergoes a drastic change. Their daily environment at school, friends, games and daily life at home are broken by visits or hospital stay, interventions, needles and fear.

Now,  one of the most difficult complexities you need to take on is your physical change.

Chemotherapy treatments not only cause patients to lose their hair. In addition, his face also swells, he loses weight, his expression changes and tiredness begins to be a constant companion in the life of every cancer patient.

• Gabriel overcame a delicate intervention where oncologists removed most of the tumor. It was a complex intervention where it was not possible to completely remove all the ramifications caused by the astrocytoma.
• However, your diagnosis is good. The disease is stable and the cancer is inactive. It’s a positive thing that the little one’s family clings to.

• The essential problem is that Gabriel has lost his own confidence.  Every time I looked in the mirror, all I saw was that scar.

His large scar inflamed above his ear, making a conspicuous curve, like a door that marks where his illness was.

• The boy had lost hope, refused to leave the house, go back to school, play in the parks…. His gaze only saw this mark.

the father’s attitude

Josh Marshall is Gabriel’s father. A 28 year old, optimistic and courageous, who never left his boy. Although life can be unfair at times, you know very well that the most important thing is the attitude and not to lose hope.

• Therefore, it was very clear that if the doctors had already done their part in removing the tumor from the boy,  now it was up to him to “cure his emotions”, restore his confidence,  energy, optimism.

• On Father’s Day, he gave his son an incredible surprise: Josh shaved his head and got a tattoo that mimicked a scar exactly like Gabriel’s. Now “they were equal”.
• Since then, the little one has returned to leave the house with new strength.

He is no longer ashamed, because  his father goes with him and together they show their scars,  their marks, those that made them more valuable people, who could face anything.

Finally, we took advantage of our space to wish little Gabriel the best of luck, who has been stable for 9 months!