In March 2015, 8‑year‑old Gabriel Marshall was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer, anaplastic astrocytoma, and underwent surgery that left him bald with a prominent scar on the right side of his head. Feeling self-conscious, Gabriel confided to his father that he felt like a monster. In response, Gabriel’s dad, Josh Marshall, decided in August 2015 to get a tattoo of the scar on his own head, so that if people stared, they’d be looking at both of them, making them “like twins” in his son’s eyes.
The gesture captured widespread attention when Marshall entered a photo of himself and Gabriel into the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s “” contest, an event that celebrates dads supporting their kids with cancer. Their photo won over 5,000 votes and earned first place. Today, Gabriel continues to do well: a small portion of the tumor remains but has not grown, and he undergoes MRI scans every three months to monitor his condition.