In 2015, Gabriel Marshall was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.
There"s simply no way to fathom what a father goes through when such a tragedy strikes his son.
Below, however, we document the incredible steps taken by Gabriel"s father, Josh, in order to show for his ailing child…
1. Close from the Beginning
Family members say Josh and Gabriel have been very close ever since the latter was born.
2. The Diagnosis
In 2015, doctors found a tumor in Gabriel’s brain. Surgery would be required. He was six years old at the time.
3. A Touching Gesture
“My son was very self-conscious after he got his surgery. He felt like a monster,” Marshall told ABC News of the resulting scar. So Josh did something that few father would ever consider: he got a matching tattoo on his head.
4. A Road to Recovery
Gabriel is on the mend, and Josh is being hailed as a hero. He received an outpouring of praise after he entered a photo to the St. Baldrick Foundation’s #BestBaldDad competition, in which 55 dads who shaved their heads in support of their children with cancer submitted photo entries. Marshall’s image 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.”
5. Heroic Father and Cute Son
The Marshalls won first place in the aforementioned competition, prompting Josh to tell ABC: “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.”
6. A Happy Ending
Gabriel is now eight years old and still has some of the tumor in his brain, but his scans are currently stable, BuzzFeed News confirms. “He’s been doing good and he’s been off treatment about nine months now,” Josh says. We are so happy to hear it!